


A Moment Undisturbed

by Phoebeus



Series: These Days We Celebrate [13]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Explicit Sexual Content, Hand Jobs, M/M, Oral Sex, and eggs, and the woes of living in 1998, plus some fluff and antics and humorous spazzing, seriously this is just ninety percent sex or discussion of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebeus/pseuds/Phoebeus
Summary: Family can be disruptive at the best of times, but especially when you're an eager young man who is weeks into a new relationship and just wants some alone time with your live-in boyfriend/former ancient king/former body sharer. But, that's nothing a little teamwork and clever planning can't fix, right?
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Series: These Days We Celebrate [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/668048
Comments: 85
Kudos: 185





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And~ here we are, the last of the currently scheduled TDWC stories. Or, rather the first chapter of three of the last of the currently scheduled stories, but still. I don't have much to say for an intro, so I'll just throw out there a thank you to everyone who dropped a single kind word for these post-Reconfiguration stories. The kudos and likes are lovely, too, but the words kept me going more than you could know, AND I hope you're all safe in these insane times, and staying safe, and that hopefully this story can make a trying time a little less trying for a minute? I hope so, at least.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

Atem smiled, keeping his eyes shut as he listened to Yuugi yawn and turn in his desk chair. The faint light playing against Atem’s eyelids disappeared as Yuugi turned off the desk light and quietly stood up, his footsteps impossible to hear thanks to his socks and the carpet. But a second later Atem felt the sheets shift as Yuugi climbed into bed as carefully as possible, as he always did when Atem was already there and potentially asleep.

It never worked. Atem was a light sleeper, and most of the time he wasn’t really asleep. But the effort was still sweet, and the instant his partner had settled in beside him Atem took off his glasses, picked up the gameboy resting on his chest, and tossed them both up on the headboard shelf. Then he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Yuugi.

Yuugi snickered, rolling onto his side to face him and return the embrace. “You still awake?”

“Close enough,” Atem replied, keeping his eyes shut a few moments to enjoy Yuugi’s warmth. When he opened them and saw his partner smiling, he smiled, too. “Are you done?”

Yuugi shrugged, the motion stifled by their position. “Close enough,” he echoed, yawning and rolling onto his back, dragging Atem along with him. Atem went willingly, hooking a leg around Yuugi’s thigh as Yuugi slid an arm around his back. “I just have one more section. I can do that tomorrow.” 

Atem hummed in reply, rubbing his cheek into Yuugi’s shoulder. “Still on the Pleistocene Epoch?”

“You know how impressive it is that you can say that? Much less remember it?”

“It helps when my partner reads his homework out loud.” 

Yuugi gave a snort, rubbing Atem’s back. “What about you? Getting any readings done between customers?”

“You’ve been there with me.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t asked.” 

Atem smiled, because it was true: They studied together, but they rarely discussed it. While it was tempting to chat or goof off when they worked in the shop, they had agreed it was better to get their studies out of the way when business was slow, that way they could enjoy more free time with their friends and each other.  _ Most _ shifts they ended up sitting at the game demo table, where they could hide their respective textbooks and study guides under empty board game boxes when the doorbell rang. And it worked well enough, save when a customer expressed an interest  _ in _ said games. But Yuugi solved that issue pretty fast by digging out copies of the oldest, most boring board game he could find. The gutted out boxes of a game called  _ Spelling B _ looked perfectly natural there on the table, and no one had asked for a demo since.

It was genius. And just like his partner to think of it.

But Atem’s daiken studies weren’t in sync with Yuugi’s school readings, so they couldn’t really help each other beyond keeping each other company. And when they  _ did _ take the time to chat over studies, they rarely discussed  _ studies. _

And…  _ well, _ it was only natural that they goofed off a  _ little _ when the shop was slow. Took the time to discuss their friends, or plans, or each other. Or games.

“Did you actually buy those cards?”

Atem chuckled, knocked out of fond memories by the question. “The Hanafuda cards? Yes,  _ Jii-chan _ talked me into them. They’re on the shelf with your other card games.”

Yuugi huffed, but when Atem propped his chin on his partner’s chest to look at him, Yuugi was smiling. “But you aren’t even sure if you like  _ Koi-Koi _ yet.”

“I like it well enough,” Atem claimed, and both of Yuugi’s brows flew up in disbelief, amusement curving his smile.  _ Why, _ Atem couldn’t begin to guess. “You’re right, though. I want to play it more before I decide. Specifically play with others, like  _ you, _ and I don’t want to do it where we’ll be interrupted by customers.”

_ “Hmm.” _ Yuugi considered him and his claim with a faint frown, the expression pressing his mouth into a thin line until Atem reached up to it. Then he smiled again, blowing on Atem’s finger until he retracted it. “You’d think  _ Jii-chan _ would let you borrow them for free, given how long he’s prodded me to memorize card sets.”

“Not when he can get a sale out of it.”

Yuugi snorted. “True. Anyways, you didn’t answer me about your studies.”

Atem shrugged, turning his head to rest his cheek back on Yuugi’s shoulder. “There isn’t much to tell. Just a lot of reviews of tenth year math.”

_ “Oh. _ I don’t think I even remember half of that.” 

“And alas,” Atem lamented. “I wasn’t paying much attention to it at the time.” 

“Yeah,  _ well, _ we weren’t talking yet then. And you didn’t listen much to my lessons last year, did you?”

“Not all of them, but a good many.” Atem relaxed as he remembered, letting his eyes shut. “I wanted to know what you were covering when you did your homework, or I wouldn’t know what you were struggling with. And I listened when you read out loud then, too.” 

Yuugi didn’t reply, but his grip on Atem’s back grew a little firmer, and his free hand moved to cover his, his touch warm. All of him was warm, and it would likely be too much eventually. They usually slept close out of necessity and desire both, but the summer had returned in force in the last week and even with a fan on it was too much to stay plastered together all night. At some point one or the other would kick the blankets off and they’d come apart and settle back in, sleeping face-to-face.

But for now the warmth was soothing, not stifling, and it would be so easy to drift off, just like that… 

Yuugi’s hand moved, his thumb tracing Atem’s knuckles. “Hey,  _ mou hitori no boku?” _

“Hmm?”

“Are you really tired?”

_ “Hmm… _ No, just comfortable. Why?”

Yuugi didn’t reply for a bit, the silence dragging on until it was thick with the unsaid.

Atem smiled.

“Just wondering,” Yuugi finally said, his tone light and checking and trying so hard not to prod. “Would you like to?”

Atem’s smile widened and he rolled, sliding atop his partner. Their legs tangled together and their stomachs flattened against each other and though he felt no hard line against his hip, Atem was still confidently sure when he asked, “Like to what,  _ aibou?” _

His coaxing tones drew a flush from his surprised partner, but Yuugi quickly recovered, and the delight in his smile was delicious to see. He wrapped his arms around Atem’s waist and crossed his wrists over the small of his back, looking him right in the eye as he asked, “You know,  _ have sex? _ Get off? Mess around? Fuck, make love, copulate, engage in intercourse of the sexual variety–” 

Atem tried to hold it back, but eventually he snapped and sputtered on a laugh. But he bit it back quickly: He didn’t want to disturb the rest of the house. “I think I get the picture.”

Yuugi smiled through the tease, uncrossing his arms and rising up on his elbows until their chests were pressed together and Atem could feel his breath. “And?”

Atem narrowed his eyes through his grin, tempted to tease and prod further and see how his partner would react if he dragged out his response. But that would mean  _ waiting, _ so he kissed him, instead. 

Yuugi sighed relief, tugging Atem down on top of him and weaving his fingers through Atem’s hair. Atem responded by licking his lips until Yuugi opened for him, the kiss growing deeper as he reached for his partner’s knees and coaxed his legs up. Yuugi’s thighs clamped around him in a heartbeat, and Atem hummed satisfaction against his mouth.

They went on like that for a while, pressed together, and Atem could  _ feel _ the soft hums vibrating through Yuugi’s chest, catching in his throat and buzzing off his lips. The sensations were paralyzingly sweet, and Atem got lost in them until Yuugi pressed up against him harder, squeezing him with his legs as he whispered, “You feel really good.”

Atem smiled too wide to maintain the kiss and leaned back enough to meet Yuugi’s gaze. “Yeah?”

_ There, _ embarrassment flashed through Yuugi’s sleepy want, and Atem was sure: His partner hadn’t meant to say that. But surprise gave way to tickled smiles, and Atem loved it. Loved the baffled assurance in Yuugi’s voice as if he confirmed,  _ “Yeah, _ of course you do. You always do.” 

Atem continued staring, taking Yuugi in, then leaned close enough to kiss the bridge of his nose. Then his mouth. Then his chin. Then Yuugi tipped his head back and he kissed his throat, too. “You feel good, too.” Soft, and  _ alive, _ and right at his fingertips. Such a wonderful reality. When he was a spirit, all Atem had felt when his partner touched him was a taunt of static. Even before his need for Yuugi found substance and label and a spiraling strength that had seemed cruel. But they had still had their own sense of closeness then, a spiritual sort that Atem couldn’t quite define even at the time. Even when Yuugi was still unaware of him, when Atem still thought of them as  _ him, _ not  _ them, _ it had felt like acceptance to be inside his partner’s body, to feel his heartbeat and sense his soul so close to his. They’d been so tangled up in one another’s senses, as though they were one heart. Atem missed that closeness sometimes. 

But not enough to want it back. Not if it meant losing  _ this. _

He trailed his kisses back up until he found Yuugi’s mouth, sliding a hand up the front of his shirt to find skin. “Everytime we’re together like this,” he whispered, pressing the words into Yuugi’s lips. “I just want it to last.”

Yuugi tensed with an unheard gasp, said  _ “Atem,” _ and it left him aching. When Yuugi repeated the call Atem slid his hands down into the elastic of his pants, but his partner’s voice rose with a sharp sound and he changed course, sliding one hand back up to press a finger to Yuugi’s lips. 

“Careful,” he warned. “You don’t want to wake the whole house, do you?” 

Yuugi blinked, some of the fog leaving his face, then sniffed. “I wasn’t being that loud,” he insisted,  _ whilst _ lowering his voice, only for a smirk to touch his face. “Yet.”

Oh. 

Atem’s pulse beat hot in his ear as he looked into those sparking violets, but he grinned past the effect, tracing his partner’s bottom lip. “They could still interrupt us. And I’m not interested in stopping.” 

Yuugi didn’t reply. Instead he caught the finger at his lips with his teeth, and though he didn’t bite Atem still tensed and sucked in a breath like he’d been punched, caught less by the move than the  _ look _ in his partner’s eyes. 

_ Oh. _

He pulled his hand away and swooped down, catching the back of Yuugi’s neck as he caught him in a kiss.

Hands shot up to grab him and keep him close as Yuugi matched his zeal, but Atem did  _ not _ give up control of the embrace. Because Yuugi didn’t want him to, he was sure of that. Because Yuugi  _ asked _ if he wanted this,  _ twice _ in that careful, coaxing way. They’d only been lovers for half a month but already Atem had picked up a few things, particularly in relation to what his partner wished of him, and if Yuugi had wanted control he would have acted himself. 

Like a few nights ago, Yuugi had rolled over seconds after they went to bed and kissed Atem until he was so dizzy he couldn’t tell up from down, only then did Yuugi inquire mid-kiss if he’d like to have sex. And after Atem said  _ yes, _ Yuugi pressed him into the mattress and barely let him breathe until they were both spent and gasping beneath the covers.

Of course, Atem’s clinging and demands that Yuugi continue might have had something to do with that, but that was neither here nor there. 

The point was that _ that _ had been completely different from  _ this, _ and given the quiet, happy sounds Atem earned as he pressed down into Yuugi, he was right: His partner wanted something else tonight. To be touched, and led, and dragged into release. And Atem was anxious to satisfy him.

He slid his hands back under Yuugi’s shirt, pushing it up as he left his partner’s lips to attack his neck instead, and Yuugi let his head fall back with a gasp. Then the shirt was up under his armpits and Atem could move lower and kiss the center of Yuugi’s chest. He lingered there a moment, pressing his lips over his partner’s heart, but moved quickly on. Yuugi never showed much interest in attention there, save for an occasional shiver when Atem teased his nipples, but he was sensitive and the wrong move could lead to discomfort or giggles in a heartbeat. And Atem wasn’t interested in that sort of disruption. And he wanted to focus elsewhere, too.

He paused long enough to kick the covers down out of the way, then hooked his fingers in Yuugi’s pants and underwear and tugged down.

Yuugi sucked in a breath as his erection hit the air, then  _ choked on it _ as Atem slid down and bent and abruptly swallowed his tip.  _ “That–” _ Yuugi gasped, straining and struggling to speak  _ without screaming, _ but Atem didn’t cease his efforts to draw him deeper. Not until Yuugi got out,  _ “You just said– wanted to last–” _

Atem smiled around Yuugi’s cock and slid off, wetting his lips before smiling up at his partner’s destroyed face. “I want to practice.” He  _ liked _ touching and fondling and playing with his partner as much as possible, it was true, but he’d had surprisingly few chances to try  _ this. _ Like that other night, Yuugi had kept him so pinned with kisses and whispers and hands that it was never a possibility, and Atem had been  _ far _ too pleased at the time to care. 

Yuugi was very good with his hands.

Atem shivered, feverish with the recollection, but he kept his focus on Yuugi’s face. He was gawking, too lost for words, but when Atem quietly asked,  _ “May I?” _ Yuugi flushed and gulped and nodded, shaky with want. 

Atem beamed and went right back to it, the only sound following him Yuugi’s gasps.

He hadn’t figured out yet how to swallow Yuugi like those actors did in the films. The few times he’d tried had resulted in coughs and choking and concern Atem had to bat down before continuing. But he moved slowly tonight, playing his tongue under the head of his partner’s cock before drawing Yuugi deeper. And though a twinge of discomfort played through Atem’s jaw before he got very far, Yuugi didn’t seem to mind. He kept letting out sharp little pants, straining under Atem’s hands in an effort to not buck up. Atem looked up, and saw his partner’s head thrown back into the pillow.

Atem couldn’t see his face.

He pulled off of Yuugi with a soft  _ smack _ of lips.  _ “Aibou.” _

Yuugi stuttered still, then shakily rose up to his elbows to blink down at him.

Atem smiled at his dazed stare, kneading the inside of his thighs as he coaxed, “Stack our pillows and slide up on them.”

Yuugi continued blinking at him for a bit, clearly thrown, but he didn’t question him. He took a long look at Atem’s pillow resting beside him, then sat up and tugged it on top of his own. He smacked them together into one lump and scooched back into them, then relaxed with his upper back and shoulders and head all propped up in the fluff. Settled in, he gazed anxiously,  _ excitedly _ down at him, and bent his knees invitingly. “Like this?”

Atem smiled, pleased.  _ “Yes, _ that’s perfect.” He could  _ see him _ now. 

And he did. When he took Yuugi’s cock in his fist and lowered back over it, he held Yuugi’s gaze the entire time.

The entire mood changed. Atem hadn’t grown any better or wiser in the last minute, but just looking Yuugi in the eye as he swallowed him put a hot haze over everything. His partner’s sharp, shaky pleasure hooked into his focus as he licked and sucked, every  _ tiny, _ careful shift amplified through Yuugi’s face.

_ “Fff–” _ he hissed, pinching his lips against the curse Atem knew sat on his tongue. But Yuugi swallowed it back and managed only a breathy,  _ “You’re really good at–” _ before dissolving into a moan he had to bite back.

It didn’t matter. Even half-said Atem shivered at Yuugi’s words and ached for more, wondering what else he might say if given the chance. Watching his partner come apart, his face warming and eyes widening and mouth dropping with mute pants, Atem’s own breath grew short. He gasped around Yuugi, his own cock throbbing in his pants as Yuugi’s breaths grew shorter and Atem moved faster, drool escaping from his lips to roll down his chin. 

He reveled in it, let himself moan around the muffling flesh as he slid a hand up across Yuugi’s stomach. He pressed his palm there, feeling his partner’s heat and the breaths flying through him– until a hand covered his, clutching Atem’s as a denied thrust trembled through Yuugi’s body.

They were still looking at each other when Yuugi choked on nothing and came.

Atem expected it. He’d recognized the tells in Yuugi’s movements. But it was still disarming to feel his mouth fill up so fast, the come hot and  _ so much. _ He didn’t want to let it spill, but it nearly overwhelmed him, ebbing off just as Atem thought he might choke. Once it seemed over, he carefully slid off Yuugi’s cock in a way that kept his lips shut, and sat up, pressing fingers to his lips as he swallowed.

It went down hot, too.

He panted out a breath the moment it was safe to, then turned his attention back to Yuugi– to his partner, gasping on the sheets and exposed and uncaring and staring at him, wonderstruck. 

Atem smiled and crawled up to wrap him in his arms, kissing his face. 

Yuugi didn’t respond at first, but Atem didn’t mind, continuing to kiss him until, delight playing up his limbs, he heard Yuugi mumble,  _ “That was… _ That was amazing.”

“Happy to please,” Atem assured, the faint tease in his voice completely wrapped in love as he pressed the words against Yuugi’s cheek. And when Yuugi suddenly burst to life and clutched him back hard and demanded another kiss, Atem was happy to please him  _ then, _ too.

Except Yuugi jerked back just seconds into it, a shocked look on his face.  _ “Oh.” _

Atem stared back at him, confused until Yuugi touched his own mouth. 

_ Oh. _

He– he must have tasted himself on Atem’s tongue. 

Atem realized it the exact second Yuugi focused on him again, and the wordless look they shared made him shiver. “…I could wash out my mouth,” he offered, the words rasping out of him, but Yuugi shook his head, his eyes dropping to Atem’s mouth.

“No, it… Not unless you want to.”

“I don’t need to.”

Yuugi’s gaze zipped back up to his, surprised and–  _ “Oh. _ Then, you think it tastes good?” 

Atem smiled, charmed by the wonder in his voice. “No.” Yuugi’s eyes went wide, and Atem allowed himself only a quick chuckle before leaning in to kiss away undue worries before they could be born. “It tastes fine,” he assured, claiming Yuugi’s lips before adding, “And strange. But it’s  _ you, _ so I like it.”

When he leaned back, Yuugi looked  _ just _ as baffled, his gaze so mind blown that Atem couldn’t help but laugh again, prompting Yuugi to jolt awake with an affronted snort. “That was really sweet until you  _ ruined it.” _

“My apologies,” Atem said, not sorry at all, and Yuugi gave an on-principle huff before refocusing back on his lips, his gaze distracted… then Yuugi shifted, sliding beneath Atem until he could reach down and grab his ass.

Atem sucked in a breath and tensed, the feeling of those fingers on him burning through his mind as Yuugi pulled him close. The air burst back out of him as his covered cock met the firm cushion of Yuugi’s gut, and before he could recover his partner guided him to move, to rut against him, and Atem had to tense his arms so he didn’t just collapse face first into his partner.

Then the hands were gone and he felt thumbs hooking in the back of his pants. “My turn?”

Atem blinked until his vision unblurred, then looked down. Yuugi was looking at him, too, the most natural, curious look in his eyes, like he had just suggested a new game, or a trip to the store. And something about that look paired with the hands coaxing his pants down made Atem quake. “It’s not a give and take,  _ aibou. _ You don’t have to do–”

Yuugi’s hands retreated and he wrapped his arms around Atem’s waist, keeping them together as he rolled them over. Atem ended up flat on his back, head on the mattress as Yuugi straddled him and  _ looked down  _ at him. “Don’t have to do what?”

Atem didn’t answer.  _ Couldn’t _ answer. He was too busy drowning in his partner’s eyes as Yuugi smiled and tugged at his arms, coaxing Atem to sit up. Atem tried, numbly yielding to his partner’s guidance, but he only got up to his elbows before Yuugi leaned into him, pulled the pillows over, and pushed Atem down into their support. 

Atem went down struggling for breath, because he saw what his partner was doing, getting him comfortable before sliding down his thighs. Yuugi eased his knees between Atem’s, coaxing them to part for him, and Atem shuddered for reasons he couldn’t understand. Didn’t try to. He felt like putty in Yuugi’s hands as his partner slid down further, his face lowering towards Atem’s crotch. And the idea of that was so  _ good _ Atem nearly just let it happen, but the cool shock of his pants and underwear coming down pulled a weak, breathless, “You don’t have to,” out of him, and Yuugi stalled. 

He looked up at him, his palm on Atem’s bare thigh a hot distraction as his partner licked his lips,  _ so close. _ “I know that, but… Do you not want me to?”

Atem swallowed and stared into Yuugi’s eyes, so wanting and patient and  _ determined, _ and relented. Not to Yuugi, but himself. 

Because in truth the idea of Yuugi  _ doing that– _

Atem thread his fingers through his partner’s hair and whispered,  _ “Please.” _

He could have moaned for the relieved smile Yuugi blessed him with. “Just let me know if you don’t like something,” he said. “Or if you do.” 

Atem’s mind blanked out, then burst into a thousand dots of colors as Yuugi grasped him at the base and  _ swallowed him _ only to jolt back because he went too far too fast. But even that quick shock had been  _ blinding _ and Atem’s head swam while Yuugi coughed. He didn’t even have time to gather himself and check if he was okay before Yuugi was back, taking only the tip of Atem between his lips. He gently sucked, his tongue playing over him in a way that had Atem gritting his teeth against a scream. The sound spread up through him, sharper and fuller and  _ too much, _ and he hissed out a warning,  _ “Noise.” _

Yuugi came off of him and looked up, and the  _ smirk _ on his face! All of the tension fell out of Atem’s body and he barely even twitched as Yuugi retreated to crawl up beside him and grab something off the headboard shelf. A second later the television switched on, and Yuugi used the remote to find a news channel and adjust the volume down until the commenters were less yelling at them than filling up the room with their voices. Then he tossed the remote back onto the shelf and slid back down between Atem’s legs.

Atem eyed the television, the image on the screen refusing to process through his fogged mind. “That could still wake someone up.”

“Yeah, but it’s less likely to prompt awkward questions,” Yuugi claimed, his hands settling on Atem’s hips and prompting him to look at him, his pleased little smile hooking Atem instantly. “And I don’t want to stop, even if you’re having trouble keeping quiet.”

Words caught in Atem’s throat, and they just stared at each other… until Yuugi knelt down again, his arms encasing Atem’s thighs as he bent over low enough that Atem felt his breath against the tip of his cock. He clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut and tensing at the delight shooting through him– 

A hand grasped his hip, thumb rubbing his skin.  _ “Mou hitori no boku?” _

A whimper caught in Atem’s throat at the sound of Yuugi’s voice, soft and checking and  _ so good–  _ and he swallowed back the sound, forcing his body to relax as he slid fingers back through his partner’s hair. “Go on.” 

Yuugi squeezed his hip again, then let go. The hand moved to grasp the base of Atem’s cock, holding him still as lips returned. 

Atem’s head dropped back to the pillow with a gasp.

Yuugi approached his second try slowly, kissing and licking without actually taking Atem in his mouth, moving his hand along the rest of him. The careful, thorough treatment left Atem biting his lip, and his breath caught when Yuugi cupped his balls, played his fingers over them, and– and Atem could feel it, how determined his partner was to unravel him. Yuugi touched him like he was searching for some way to make him  _ sing, _ and Atem was certain of it: If it existed, Yuugi would find it. And he would use it without mercy.

It undid something inside Atem to know that, and when Yuugi finally took him in his mouth again, he whispered,  _ “Aibou,” _ without even knowing it. Not until Yuugi hummed back at him, the sound barely audible over the television but vibrating off hypersensitive skin and the need to thrust shot through Atem’s skull. He clenched a hand in the sheets to deny it, kept gasping as Yuugi lowered his head a bit more and carefully, gently began to suck.  _ “Aibou,” _ he breathed again, gripping Yuugi’s hair– perhaps too hard. He let go the second he caught himself, but Yuugi didn’t seem to mind. He just hummed louder and licked up the bottom of Atem’s cock,  _ slowly, _ so slowly that Atem’s hips arched up with the motion and a whine caught in his throat.

Yuugi shifted at the sound, his knees brushing Atem’s ankles as he spread his legs. Atem wasn’t sure why but he didn’t really care, he just spread along with him and sighed when Yuugi swallowed him back down again.  _ “Aibou.” _ He buried both hands back in Yuugi’s hair,  _ keeping him close, _ and Yuugi leaned into the touch. But he didn’t stall the blowjob. He went right on tugging pleasure out of Atem’s core, coaxing out more and more displays that Atem fought and failed to stifle. He whispered to Yuugi like that over and over again, managing nothing more than that one word, but he could have sworn that Yuugi heard the wonder and praise he couldn’t voice. That he was  _ responding _ to him, because Yuugi’s breaths were growing shallow and quick around his cock, so pleased, so  _ wonderful _ to hear, like he himself was– 

Atem’s eyes flew open and he let go, rushed up onto his elbows to look down. 

Yuugi continued to move over him, his lips sliding on Atem’s cock, but his hands– one was keeping Atem still, but the other– 

Atem’s jaw dropped, heat burning up his body and brain because  **_was Yuugi touching himself?_ **

He couldn’t see. It was impossible to see clearly in the dark, at that angle, but he  _ felt _ Yuugi moan around him and  _ knew– _

Atem collapsed back onto the bed, his entire body shuddering on a gasp.

**_Gods._ **

There were no thoughts then. Atem clutched at the sheets and then his own thighs to keep from  _ tugging Yuugi’s hair out _ as he let the sensations wash over him. Each breath was a desperate gasp for air, moans slipping out through the cracks. He didn’t care, the thought of his partner,  _ his Yuugi _ getting off on pleasing him overwhelmed Atem’s mind, dragged him down and deeper and he looked down to look at Yuugi’s face and his partner  _ opened his eyes– _

Atem’s entire body went tight up as their gazes locked, pleasure slamming through him and–

Someone knocked.

Atem tensed, freezing in a completely different way as Yuugi slipped off of his cock. The sensation built up another moan in his throat but he swallowed it and looked to stare at the door with Yuugi.

They both waited.

A second knock came. “Boys?”

Atem deflated at the familiar voice, then blinked in surprise as Yuugi muttered a sharp,  _ “Fuck!” _ The frustration in his voice was palpable and far more than merely annoyed, and Atem was tempted to ask– but there was no time. Yuugi climbed off of the bed and pulled up his pants, and belatedly Atem rushed to do the same. He pulled up the blankets and huddled under them, but his stomach twisted tight because no matter what he did, his cock was wet from his partner’s tongue and heavy in his pants and impossible to ignore. 

Yuugi was in no better shape, Atem could see that, and he kept behind the door as he opened it and peeked around to greet their visitor. “Yes,  _ Jii-chan?” _

“Sorry,” the unseen man said, dropping his voice to match Yuugi’s quiet tone. “Is Atem-kun asleep?”

“No,” Atem answered, before he could think better of it. At the sound of his voice Sugoroku poked his head around the door to look at him, and Atem tensed. He knew he couldn’t see anything telling, but his throat still closed up as he locked eyes with his partner’s grandfather. 

“Ah.” Sugoroku smiled as he looked between them. “Of course not.” Atem was sure he  _ imagined _ the knowing tone in his voice, but either way Sugoroku focused quickly on the television. “How could you be asleep with that thing on? It’s really not  _ that _ loud, Yuugi-kun, but that newscaster’s voice carries right through the walls.”

He was right: The man’s voice  _ was _ rather shrill, now that Atem heard it. Odd that he hadn’t noticed before.

“Sorry,” Yuugi said, following his grandfather’s gaze. “We’ll– I’ll turn it off.”

“Good, good.” Sugoroku was still smiling as he looked back to the boys, glancing between them, and Atem sucked in a breath and held it when the man’s gaze settled back on him. Sugoroku just grinned, though, giving his grandson one last look before turning away. “Good night, boys. See you in the morning.”

“Night,” Yuugi echoed, his voice tight and low, and Atem merely muttered the word as Sugoroku disappeared and Yuugi shut the door behind him. He locked it the second he could, cutting them off from any other intrusion, then reached up to knock a weak fist on the door.

Atem watched, frowning.  _ “Aibou?” _

Yuugi looked back at him, and the heavy weight on his face lifted as they locked eyes. He made a quick detour to the television to shut it off, then returned to him in a few quick steps. Atem lifted the blanket to welcome him back and Yuugi took the opening gratefully, climbing in and pressing up against Atem the instant he could.

Atem sighed and relaxed, dropping the blanket over them so he could pull Yuugi closer. The sweet friction of full-body contact was  _ nothing _ to the relief of having his partner back in his arms. 

“Of all the times,” Yuugi whispered against his neck, and Atem rubbed his back.

“There really wasn’t a time there I  _ would have _ welcomed that knock.”

“Me either,” Yuugi agreed, but he still huffed against Atem’s throat before kissing it, earning a shudder and a smile from the once king. “Still, right before I had you coming was  _ definitely _ at the bottom of the list.”

Atem tilting his head to let Yuugi trail more kisses up to his jaw, humming and simply enjoying the affection for a couple heartbeats before countering with a light, purposeful, “Oh, I wasn’t about to come.” 

Yuugi froze, his lips on Atem’s cheek, and Atem grinned. 

_ Got him. _

Yuugi pulled back and looked at Atem through narrowed eyes as if to ask, are _ you serious? _ “Yes, you were.”

Atem chuckled, the light in Yuugi’s eyes screaming  _ I know you’re playing with me _ simply encouraging him. “I think I would know if I was.”

Yuugi scoffed then leaned in close enough to brush their noses together, the motion somehow tender and intimidating at the same time. “You  _ were, _ but maybe you haven’t experienced it enough yet to recognize it.” 

Atem mirrored his scoff, and thought to shoot back that  _ Yuugi _ shouldn’t know his tells either then, but Yuugi cut off any further banter by stoppering his mouth shut and pushing him over. When Atem was flat on his back Yuugi settled back between his legs and worked Atem’s pants down, all while still invading his mouth, and Atem let him, happy to tug him close and arch and open up for his partner. But the delight bubbling up his chest warned of moans, and Atem sighed and turned away from Yuugi’s kiss. “I don’t think I can be any quieter,” he rasped, irritated at himself for the truth of it. They slept together every night with a family just a wall or two away, and even if Yui and Sugoroku had accepted them as a couple, the idea of being overheard– If he couldn’t  _ keep quiet– _

Yuugi huffed against his cheek, and Atem wondered if he was thinking the same thing. But no, Yuugi would never be irritated with him for that, and when he spoke– “I know, you have trouble holding back. I  _ know. _ I get that. To be honest, it’s kind of hot.” 

Atem blinked, his eyes going wide as he turned back to his partner. 

Yuugi smothered him instantly with another kiss, sliding his tongue into his mouth and exploring until Atem melted, opening wide. And just as he forgot about the conversation and tried to match his partner’s fervor, Yuugi tore away again, leaving them both gasping and staring at each other through hooded eyes. Yuugi licked his lips and Atem’s gaze zipped down at the movement. “But I can help,” his partner breathed, bending down to kiss Atem’s neck just below his ear. Atem’s eyes shut and he let his head drop to the side, giving Yuugi room to kiss where he liked. “I could just touch you,” Yuugi whispered. “And kiss you the entire time to keep you quiet. Or you could use my neck, or my shoulder. Whatever you need. Bite me if you have to.”

Atem jolted at the suggestion, opening his eyes to gape at the ceiling– then Yuugi’s hand closed around his cock and he arched into it, biting his lip.

Yuugi came back into view, looking down at him as he gently,  _ suggestively _ tugged on him. Atem strained against a cry.  _ “Or, _ you could take one of our pillows and cover your face while I use my mouth again?”

Atem shuddered at the suggestion, at the completely riveted, patient look on his partner’s face– but ultimately shook his head, swallowing past his pleasure as that hand kept moving. “No. I can’t see you that way, and… and this is good.” He could hold Yuugi this way, and kiss him.

And his hands really  _ were _ amazing.

Yuugi searched his eyes for a moment… then relaxed, smiling faintly before bending down to kiss him. 

Atem welcomed him, humming appreciatively as his partner’s hand picked up speed, tugging and stroking and generally striving to destroy Atem’s heart rate. Release wasn’t  _ right there _ anymore, but it quickly looked within reach again as Atem put himself over into Yuugi’s hands– 

“Still, I’m sorry,” Yuugi whispered between kisses, and Atem tensed, jerked back to full awareness. “I wanted to do that for you, and when I finally get the chance?” He sighed, and Atem frowned against his lips. He slid a hand off his partner’s back and pushed it down between them, into Yuugi’s pants.

Yuugi looked down to follow the movement, then jerked, their cocks and hands smashing together for a hot beat. The result could have been disastrous and painful, but Yuugi’s choke sounded merely  _ undone _ and Atem grit his teeth, fighting against a cry of his own when Yuugi’s grip pulsed around him.

“Ah–  _ Mou hitori no boku?” _

Atem slowly relaxed, and the second he could he looked up and gave his partner a stern look. “You will  _ not _ apologize for pleasing me, understand? You  _ are _ pleasing me, right now, just by…” Yuugi’s eyes went from shocked to soft. That hand moved again. Atem’s eyes fluttered shut and he panted a few moments before hissing,  _ “Aibou, _ I can’t make this point if you don’t stop–” 

Yuugi cut him off with a kiss, or  _ saved him _ by smothering his cry before it could get out. It didn’t matter which, Atem gave up the fight, gave  _ Yuugi _ his tongue, and moved his hand. Loved the sound his partner muffled in reply.

It got messy after that, both of them moaning and panting into kisses until they were a chorus of lost sounds, twitching and struggling for balance and arching into one another’s touch– until the taunting fact that Atem  _ could be _ feeling far more than a hand prompted him to gasp,  _ “Pull your pants down.” _

Yuugi, after whimpering into his mouth, whispered back, “No hand free.  _ You do it.” _

Atem choked back a groan and moved his free hand from Yuugi’s back to clumsily tug and push at his waistline until his partner was exposed. His partner’s sounds made a lovely little climb into a high note and Atem shook with the certainty of an end, and let go of Yuugi long enough to pull both of their shirts up. The hems were too long, they’d stain for sure if they didn’t–

Yuugi took advantage of the move to rip out of their kiss, bend over, and suck on Atem’s nipple.  _ “Ah!” _ Atem reached up, covering his own mouth to keep from calling out, but fingers quickly pried his hand away. Then Yuugi was there, swallowing his moans himself– and hissing frustration. He shifted his grip on Atem’s hand, pinning it to the sheets, and feeling Yuugi holding him down like that, even minimally, it did odd things to Atem’s pulse. 

He looked up through a haze to see Yuugi hovering over him, staring down at him as he shifted– 

Atem was already flat on the bed. He couldn’t throw his head back. But he let his jaw drop and bent his legs until he was pressing the soles of his feet into the mattress and pushing himself up to meet Yuugi, crash against him, just bare sensitive skin against sensitive skin.

Just like their first night.

It shouldn’t have been as good as Yuugi’s hand, but Atem was lost, staring into his partner’s lost face as Yuugi thrust against him. All Atem could feel was Yuugi’s hand holding him down, his thighs pressing his own apart. Even the sensations against Atem’s cock were background noise to  _ that, _ the reality of Yuugi there, holding him open like that. The sensation coaxed a long,  _ loud _ noise from his throat. 

And Yuugi saw it coming, tried to kiss it back, but Atem kept falling and  _ falling _ until Yuugi gasped against his lips,  _ “Do I need to cover your mouth again?” _

Atem’s throat locked up, his mind froze, and he reached up and pulled Yuugi flush against him. And he didn’t bite, but he took what Yuugi offered and smothered a full moan in his shoulder.

Yuugi bent over, pressed his face and own sounds into  _ Atem’s _ shoulder, and they ground together, a simple, repetitive motion that rubbed and rubbed and  _ rubbed _ and  _ taunted  _ until Atem thought he would damn it all and just  _ scream–  _ then his partner shifted his grip on his hand. Thread their fingers together and squeezed.

Atem  _ moaned _ into muffling warm skin, pleasure wrecking through him as he burst between their stomachs. 

Yuugi muffled answering sounds against his shoulder, then lifted off of him and leaned to the side just enough to reach down and jerk himself off. All while Atem floated, eyes barely open as he felt his partner spread his knees to give himself more room. The move spread  _ Atem’s _ legs open, too, spreading him wide again beneath Yuugi.

He shivered.

Yuugi’s breath hitched and Atem turned to look, reached up and played fingers through his partner’s bangs until he felt new wetness on his stomach and Yuugi’s face crumbled.

It was beautiful.

Yuugi leaned into his touch, still gasping, then fell sideways, hitting the bed with a jostling  _ thump. _

Everything went still.

Atem felt cold. 

There was barely any space between them on the tight bed, their legs still tangled together beneath the covers, but Atem still longed to roll after Yuugi and press up against him. But if he moved, the mess on his stomach would hit the sheets, and he had no energy to deal with that. So he reached out a hand instead.

Yuugi blessedly took it, pulsing a squeeze before rolling back to wrap an arm around Atem’s chest. 

Atem relaxed with a sigh, and Yuugi opened his eyes to beam at him.

They settled in like that, smiling at each other with sleepy eyes, and Atem had nearly decided to ignore the mess and let himself drift off, just like that, when Yuugi stretched up against his side. 

His partner blinked a while, clarity returning slowly to his eyes, then he looked down at Atem’s stomach.

Atem followed his gaze and watched as Yuugi slid his hand down to drag a finger through their come. Watched as Yuugi brought it to his lips, and licked.

He stared, dumbstruck. “What are you doing?”

Yuugi smacked his lips together a couple times, an uncertain look on his face, then focused back on Atem. “Just curious.” He wrapped his arm back around him and cuddled further into his side, smiling. “I didn’t get a chance to finish properly, remember?”

Atem considered that, and shifted against the mattress, a phantom shot of pleasure playing up his spine as he breathlessly asked,  _ “And?” _

Yuugi frowned thoughtfully, then clicked his tongue. “Salty.”

Atem blinked again, then  _ laughed, _ sharp and sudden and dizzy with the absurd  _ wonder _ of it– until Yuugi covered his mouth with a grin.  _ “Noise.” _

Atem smiled back and reached up to coax Yuugi’s hand away so he could kiss him, slow and deep. When Yuugi returned the affection, there was a faint, new taste on his tongue, and the whys of it prompted Atem to slide back and smile lovingly at his partner. “You’re perfect.”

Yuugi beamed at him, tickled and  _ wonderful _ and delighted, and–  _ “Shut up!” _

Atem reached up to cover  _ his _ mouth. “Noise,” he warned, a grin splitting his face.

Yuugi’s eyes glittered as he whispered against Atem’s palm,  _ “Shut up.” _

Atem burst into another laugh but Yuugi was kind enough to help him stifle it.

* * *

_ “Yo.” _

“Yo,” Yuugi echoed, pausing his game as Atem walked into the bedroom. 

His boyfriend dropped a couple shopping bags by the door, then walked over to sit on the floor beside Yuugi, smiling. 

Smiling like he was tired. 

Yuugi eyed Atem closely as he sat down and leaned against the bed beside him, but Atem just gave him a sleepy, easy look and announced, “We have a new toaster oven.”

“Do we?” Yuugi grinned at the news, and more particularly Atem’s light tones. He turned his body towards him and reached for his hand. “And are there clothes in those bags?”

“New pajamas,” Atem confirmed, squeezing Yuugi’s fingers when they found his own. “Green this time. And socks, underwear, a couple pairs of sneakers. Your mother says we should go out and pick our own proper clothes, though. ‘You aren’t kids.’”

“But we didn’t ask her to get anything for us.”

_ “‘There was a sale.’” _

Yuugi snorted, but quickly sobered again when he refocused on the exhaustion behind Atem’s smile. He rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand. “Sorry I didn’t come with you. I know she said two of us would be a distraction, not a help, but still… She must think highly of her favorite shopping buddy, though, since she picked you.”

“That’s just because she knows the seasonal sale crowds make you uncomfortable,” Atem countered, his eyes sliding shut as he leaned harder against the bed. “I doubt she’ll make that call again.”

In other words, they made Atem uncomfortable, too. And his mom had noticed. “Again, sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I was happy to do it. And you worked alone in the shop all day, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but it was a slow shift.  _ We _ didn’t have any end of summer sales.”

“No,” Atem acknowledged, opening his eyes and blinking a couple of times until he could refocus on him. Then he leaned forward and pressed his brow against Yuugi’s shoulder. Checking.

Yuugi smiled. 

He set his controller aside, let go of Atem’s hand, and wrapped his arms around his waist to pull him closer.

Atem came easily, following Yuugi’s prompt to climb onto his lap and return the embrace, his knees settling around Yuugi’s hips as he nuzzled into his neck and sighed.

Yuugi shifted and leaned back against the bed, Atem’s weight steady and comforting on his thighs as he felt him relax. “Do you want a nap?”

“Mmm,” Atem hummed against his neck, sounding half-asleep already. “…No. Your mother said to be down in an hour for dinner. Not enough time to bother. It’d just be a tease.”  _ Too bad, _ his voice said, but there was hope in it when he asked, “Could we go to bed early tonight?” 

Yuugi grinned, squeezing him. “Sure, that’d be good. It’ll mean more time to goof off tomorrow. Or just more sleep.”

Atem hummed again, but didn’t move. He grew so quiet and still that Yuugi wondered if he  _ had _ nodded off. Then he sucked in a sharp, rousing breath and asked, “Aren’t you playing  _ Banjo-Kazooie? _ You could… I don’t mind.”

“It’ll keep,” Yuugi assured, happy to stare at the pause screen as he supported Atem. It was nice, holding him like that. Atem  _ letting _ him hold him like that. It was nothing new for him to admit his doubts and worries when Yuugi called him out on them, or to accept comfort when it was offered. But it was a whole different level of wonder when Atem  _ sought _ comfort from him. He was worn out, sure, but he could have easily mustered on the rest of the day without turning to Yuugi. 

But he didn’t. He turned to him, because he knew he could.  _ And that was lovely. _

Yuugi breathed deep, let his eyes fall shut and just basked in the feeling of Atem pressed against him, soft and heavy in his arms… until Atem moved. Yuugi opened his eyes to see his boyfriend smiling down at him, still tired but  _ warm–  _ then Atem leaned down again to kiss him.

It was just a peck, sweet and lingering, and Yuugi smiled into it until Atem pulled away, satisfaction in his eyes. He looked perfectly content, just like Yuugi felt. Like he could just sit there forever and look at him.

Except, the longer they  _ did _ look at each other, the more a faint tension played up Yuugi’s spine, building and spilling out into his bones. 

And Atem remained soft beneath his hands, but the sleepiness fell out of his expression as he stared at him, like he knew. Like he was  _ watching. _

Their smiles faded, not lost but weighed down by their gaze, and Yuugi had to swallow to ask, “An hour, you say?”

Atem kept staring, so close that Yuugi could make out the faintest purple in his red eyes. “Yes.”

Yuugi slid a hand up Atem’s back to catch at the hair at the nape of his neck. Atem’s eyes fluttered at the touch, but he didn’t break their gaze. “And you don’t want to sleep?”

Atem breathed out, the strained sound doing funny things to Yuugi’s pulse as his boyfriend narrowed his eyes. “No.” 

…

_ “Huh,” _ Yuugi breathed, still caught in those eyes… until a stronger pull prompted him to look down at Atem’s lips. 

He leaned in– and Atem leaned away.

Yuugi stalled, his stomach flipping as he thought,  _ oh, _ then Atem  _ didn’t _ want to– but then those lips  _ curled, _ just a little.

Yuugi looked up, took in Atem’s intense poker face, and frowned.

He leaned in again, and Atem arched back  _ further, _ his eyes dancing.

_ “You,” _ Yuugi started, and the grin Atem must have been hiding burst into life, bright and beautiful and  _ sly _ and making Yuugi’s heart thump even as he demanded,  _ “Get back here!” _

Atem  _ laughed! _ Laughed and turned his head when Yuugi used their embrace to pull him closer, so all Yuugi got was a cheek.

Yuugi huffed against it. “Should I be taking a hint?”

“That depends on what hint you think I’m giving you,” Atem answered, smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. And the things that look did to Yuugi’s gut were  _ unfair. _

But that was fine. Yuugi could be unfair, too.

He huffed once more, then let go of Atem’s neck and back to reach down and grab his ass, tugging him closer.

Atem’s eyes went wide a split second before their groins met, and Yuugi didn’t watch his reaction. Couldn’t, because pleasure shot through his body like a bullet and he was stunned. But he  _ heard _ the gasp burst out above him, felt a breath shifting his bangs and Atem’s hands clenching on his back. And he smiled, dragging his hands off Atem’s ass to rub his hips and thighs, still locked around him. The warmth of Atem was so  _ good, _ Yuugi was going to be hard in seconds if he stayed there– and when he gave a weak, experimental roll up into that warmth, Atem jerked upright to face him, his gaze  _ blazing _ as he gripped Yuugi’s shoulders.  _ “Aibou.” _

Yuugi grinned, sliding his hands right back to his ass. “Was that the right hint?” 

Atem, he actually looked like he didn’t  _ understand _ for a moment, and it felt like triumph. Then he smiled bright enough to light a city. “Perfect,” he breathed, leaning down to kiss him himself.

Yuugi didn’t have much room to maneuver, but he still leaned back, letting his head hit the bed in an effort to dodge.

Atem froze, taken aback– but his eyes went wide as Yuugi smirked. Wide, and dark, color rising up his cheeks as he sucked in a breath. Then his eyes narrowed and Yuugi’s heart stuttered because he  _ knew _ he was caught even before Atem slid his hands behind his head to keep him trapped there against the bed. He would  _ get that kiss. _

And he did.

Shivers played all through Yuugi at the demanding contact, but he reasserted his grip on Atem’s ass and bucked, whispering,  _ “I win,” _ between the resulting gasps.

Atem just let out a strangled laugh in the midst of their kiss. “Losing wouldn’t feel this good,” he claimed, his voice so deep and lost that Yuugi bit his lip to hold back a moan. But Atem whispered against him to,  _ “Stop,” _ and when Yuugi relaxed his mouth he kissed him again, prying him open and  _ just– _ Yuugi shook with the sweet intensity of it and wrapped his arms fully around Atem, pulling him flush against him. They smothered their moans together, and when Yuugi slid fingers under one of Atem’s knee and slowly caressed up the back of his thigh, loving the feeling of warm skin through smooth material, Atem hissed and murmured, against Yuugi’s mouth,  _ “Aibou, just–” _

Yuugi shuddered at the  _ demand _ in that call, but slowly stilled when it remained unfinished. As he felt the body against his tense. He opened his eyes and saw Atem staring right through him, shock splashed across his face. 

Like he had just realized something. Something that  _ floored _ him. 

Yuugi left him be for a few seconds, waiting… but Atem showed no signs of recovering on his own, so he eventually asked,  _ “Mou hitori no boku?” _

Atem blinked, and focused back on him. And when they locked eyes, his expression shifted into something almost…  _ shy? _

Yuugi stared at him, unsure what to make of that, or what to do. If he should be worried or not. Finally he let go of Atem’s leg to reach up and cup his jaw, stroking a thumb over his cheek. “You okay?”

Atem mouthed a word, then abandoned it, clearing his throat as he frowned and fought for composure.  _ “Yes _ . Yes, I’m fine. I just…” Just what, he apparently couldn’t say, because he just frowned harder.

It should have been unnerving, Atem growing so troubled while they messed around like that. But his cheeks were still warm, and they grew even hotter in the silence. And Yuugi sensed no turmoil beneath his silence. This wasn’t distress, Yuugi knew the difference well enough. And as he watched Atem struggle to speak? Try to hide how flustered he was getting? Amid his curiosity and concern and growing certainty that he should reassure him somehow, Yuugi found a smile.

_ Cute. _

“Yuugi-kun, could you–” 

Yuugi looked up, and jumped when he saw his mother gawking at them from the doorway. The quick friction with the man on his lap was  _ embarrassingly  _ good, but all Yuugi could do was let go and press himself back against the bed. It was up to Atem to untense and actually  _ move _ as Yui recovered from her shock. 

She shut her eyes, rubbing her brow as she huffed, “Could you  _ at least _ close the door, boys?”

Yuugi pinched his lips shut, hugging his legs the second Atem was off of him to hide anything that could make the situation even more awkward. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Atem crossing his legs and folding his arms on his thighs in a way where his arms blocked key parts of him from view. And Yuugi should say something,  _ anything _ to distract his mother, but he was too busy biting back a very sharp, very unhelpful reaction. 

**_Everytime!_ **

“Did you need help with something?” Atem asked in his stead, his voice slightly strangled, and Yuugi’s mother sighed before putting her wrists on her hips and looking at them. 

“I forgot the eggs.”

Yuugi stared, the left field comment tugging most of the bite from his voice as he asked, “You want me to go get some?” But Yui still focused a frown on him like she heard his unsaid feelings and didn’t like them. 

“Yes, I need you to run to the corner store. And keep your mouth shut, Atem-kun, you’ve done enough running around for me for one day. It’s Yuugi-kun’s turn. If you want to join him, that's your business, but he’s going.”

Yuugi shook his head, shooting his boyfriend a quick staying look when he looked ready to protest. “It’s fine, I’ll go. Just give me a second–”

_ “Now,” _ she demanded, crossing the room to drop a large bill in Yuugi’s hand before turning to go. “You can pick out a dessert if you like, but I need those eggs as soon as possible, or dinner will be late. Make sure to get the farm grown ones and bring back the change.”

Yuugi didn’t answer, and thankfully his mother didn’t linger, so he was free to frown at the money, huff, and lean back against the bed as his legs dropped.

Seriously.  _ Everytime. _

Arms wrapped around his waist, and he looked up into a grin. 

“Come on,” Atem soothed, straddling Yuugi’s legs again but not sitting down. Just hovering sweetly close. “It’s not that bad. We can grab a cheesecake.”

_ “Yeah, _ I know,” Yuugi conceded, but with an unmistakable whine that prompted a chuckle distractingly close to his mouth. 

“What’s wrong?” Atem asked, freeing a hand to tilt Yuugi’s chin up and make him look directly into his smile. “We just had sex last night,” he murmured, his pleased tones sending jolts down Yuugi’s spine that were  _ not _ conducive to getting up and leaving. “And if you can keep me awake long enough tonight, we could do more. Or maybe in the morning. Is waiting really so–”

“I-it’s not  _ that!” _ Yuugi snapped, the protest catching in his throat due to Atem’s words and the fact  _ it was kind of true. _ But really! He dropped the money to grasp Atem’s arm and pluck his hand from his face, looking down at their now tangled fingers as he explained, “It’s just, it feels like we can’t try  _ anything _ without someone prodding in the middle of it, you know?” He looked back up into Atem’s face and saw his humor had softened, and his gaze was– Yuugi swallowed back the tension that gathered in his throat at the sight, ignoring the impulse to kiss him. “Mama just now, and  _ Jii-chan _ last night, and Mama back when we,  _ you know. _ The first time after we got home? In the washroom?” 

_ Oh, _ Atem knew. His face flushed in the faintest, prettiest way at the mere mention. 

But he didn’t interrupt. He just kept staring as Yuugi went on listing, “And  _ Jii-chan _ again the  _ other _ night, when he came home late and was being loud downstairs and Mama went in the hall and snapped at him to keep it down, that we were all sleeping, right when we were… It didn’t actually stall anything that time, but  _ still.” _

The memory of it had him huffing again, ready to grumble, but Atem was staring at him. Not in a heady or entranced way anymore, but confused. Even as color clung to his cheeks he looked truly baffled. “I don’t remember that.”

Yuugi stared back in surprise, because  _ how could he not remember–  _ Then his own face burned with heat. “I was,” he started, then swallowed the ball in his throat to get out, “That was right after you came, I think. Before you recovered, and– for  _ me, _ so…” Atem had seemed  _ pleased _ at the time, sure, but had he really been so out of it that he missed the yelling? 

Apparently so, because they kept staring at each other, and the silence dragged on, and… and Yuugi had to consciously remind himself:  _ Eggs. _ Because if he didn’t, he was going to do a lot more to Atem than kiss him.

And Atem looked very much like he’d  _ like _ him to, so Yuugi cleared his throat loudly and grinned around the heat. “The point is, I know how lucky we are, that we can do anything we like and it’s fine. I mean, Mama just caught us and told us to ‘shut the door’.”

Atem smiled back, his expression allowing, even heavy with denied tension. “And buy eggs.”

Yuugi sniffed. “And buy eggs,” he agreed, still not picking up the money. He squeezed Atem’s hand instead.  _ “Point is, _ it’s just frustrating that we can’t ever be alone without somebody interrupting us, whether they know it or not. I get it’ll happen sometimes, we all live together after all. But  _ all _ of the time?” Seriously, that was  _ not _ as much of an exaggeration as it should be!

But Atem didn’t mirror his frustration. Not directly, at least. He grew very quiet, staring down at their locked hands as he thought… then he looked up into his eyes. “I understand.” 

Yuugi saw the yearning beneath his composure, and his mind swam. 

Atem squeezed his hand and centered him by asking, “Is there anything we can do about it?” 

Yuugi blinked, then his throat locked up with sudden pressure, because  _ do _ something about it? There was… there were  _ things _ they could do about it, definitely. And the possibilities all crowded together in an embarrassing tangle inside his head, the issues with each only making them feel more  _ real _ as he coughed and cleared his throat and shared the first to occur to him with his patient, foggy-eyed boyfriend. “There’s, ah… we could always try a hotel. But… but I don’t know if the hourly places would even let us in until we’re twenty,” he said, feeling his cheeks burn hotter. And the way Atem’s gaze dropped, it made Yuugi’s pulse skyrocket. “And even if we were allowed in and had the money for it, that’s not– that’d be so rushed, and it’s not what I want. It’s not just about the sex, after all. And the full night places, I don’t know how we’d get a good excuse for that. We’d have to go somewhere or something, make a full trip of it, and… and  _ maybe. _ That’d be fun some time for its own sake. But that’s not a good solution. I don’t want us to enjoy uninterrupted time together only when– when we can do  _ that.” _

“No,” Atem agreed, still so quiet and caught. So mesmerizing that Yuugi had to shake himself to go on speaking.

“I don’t know, it– it feels weird to plan it like this, have a set  _ time _ for it, but– but we need a solution for here, at home. There  _ have  _ to be times no one would come knocking or calling for us, right? That we could… that we could make use of if we  _ want _ to, but not  _ have _ to, you know? Even during the school year?” 

Yuugi thought he was being completely garbled, but Atem nodded like he understood, still so quiet and tense and locked inside his own head. And Yuugi was tempted to go on, add more ideas, but he bit his lip to hold them back. He could see the deep thoughts in Atem’s eyes, and he didn’t want to interrupt them. And indeed, after a few moments Atem looked up, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant as he asked, “Would  _ Jii-chan _ working while your mother is out of the house count? I know that’s not quite it, but I think that’s the closest thing we could get, guaranteed.”

“Right,” Yuugi agreed, his eyes widening as he processed Atem’s suggestion, and– “What about Sundays? In the morning? We would be home then, even during the school year. And Mama always goes downtown for her book club really early and isn’t back until lunch, and  _ Jii-chan _ likes to work Sunday mornings, so he’d probably be up for claiming those shifts regularly. And he always goes for a walk and sweeps outside before we open. He never comes upstairs during a workshift, or into the house at all except for the kitchen and downstairs toilet, so… so, if we aren’t  _ too _ loud…” 

Atem didn’t speak, even as Yuugi trailed off. But his eyes were sparking. 

They stared at each other again, barely breathing as the idea solidified between them.

_ Oh. _

“…We could have hours alone,” Atem murmured, the quiet break in the silence making Yuugi shiver.

He squeezed Atem’s bicep and shifted beneath him. “Does… does that sound good, then?”

Atem grinned and leaned in closer, close enough that their breaths mingled. “That sounds perfect.” 

Yuugi beamed, shifting again beneath the excitement sizzling between them. “Then– then do you want to? This weekend, I mean? Make it a Sunday for us to–”

_ “Yes,” _ Atem interrupted, eagerly cutting him off, and Yuugi  _ had _ to pull him down. Atem took to the move with enthusiasm, tumbling back into his lap and wrapping his arms around him and kissing him, pressing him against the side of the bed and  _ ah–  _ Yuugi kissed him back and melted and would have been so  _ happy _ to… but  _ eggs. _

He moaned with equal parts delight and regret and felt Atem shudder at the sound. Yuugi broke away and kissed Atem’s cheek.  _ “Good.” _

The breath Atem let out was ragged.

Yuugi followed the line of his spine with a finger, smiling to himself. “And you… Do you want to do anything special that day?” he asked, thinking to close the conversation with something specific to look forward to. Though really, Yuugi  _ knew _ he was just teasing himself and Atem both with whatever the answer might be.

But Atem didn’t answer. He went very, very still  _ very _ suddenly, and Yuugi’s finger stalled as he felt the tension slide through him. 

Yuugi wanted to pull back and see Atem’s face, but his back was already flush against the bed, and Atem’s grip on him remained tight. So he stared at the television over Atem’s shoulder, going on awkwardly, “You know, to celebrate? Just being together is special enough, definitely. But, you know, since it’ll be the first time – on a Sunday like that, I mean – and we won’t have to worry about noise as much…”

Atem still didn’t answer. And he hadn’t relaxed at all. And Yuugi couldn’t take it anymore. 

He put his hands to his boyfriend’s shoulders and gently pushed, asking,  _ “Mou hitori no boku? _ Are you okay?” 

Atem took a sharp breath, like he hadn’t been breathing  _ at all _ that entire time, and slowly allowed Yuugi to push him back, until he could see his face. See the deep red staining his cheeks and the uncertainty in his eyes.

Yuugi took it all in in surprise, then relaxed.

_ Oh. _

_ “Hey, _ it’s okay,” he soothed, his voice going truly soft as his own nerves fled. He cupped Atem’s cheek and smiled for him.  _ “Really, _ if there’s something– I’ll let you know if I’m not up for anything, you know that,” he coaxed, and some of the tension left Atem’s brow. “And I’ll never mind just because you  _ asked, _ no matter what it is. I promise. But, if you don’t actually  _ tell me?” _ Yuugi leaned hard into the question, leaving it unfinished, but he saw the understanding in Atem’s gaze. Saw that he trusted him.

But he didn’t speak quickly. Atem’s gaze dropped to Yuugi’s mouth, not in a sexy or heady way, but with soft, thoughtful eyes. 

And Yuugi waited, because this wasn’t Atem lost for words or holding them back anymore. This was him  _ finding _ them. 

When Atem looked back up at him, his eyes were determined, and he didn’t stumble or hesitate at all. “Yuugi, I want you to take me.”

Yuugi blinked, unsure what he… then he stopped breathing.

Oh.

**_OH._ **

Yuugi opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. The air in his lungs had caught fire and scorched his brain because  _ had he just heard that? _ Did Atem mean that? That he wanted… W-what would that even involve? How would they even– Could that actually feel  _ good  _ for Atem? Yuugi hadn’t seen anal much in films, but  _ yeah, _ the girls  _ seemed _ to like it in porn. But that was  _ porn _ and it was  _ girls, _ so–  _ so– _ Did Atem really want that? From  _ him?! _

The questions all crashed into walls inside his head, leaving nothing but scattered silence, but finally Yuugi realized that Atem was staring at him, waiting for an answer. His expression tense and completely unreadable. 

And the second Yuugi focused on him again, he asked, “Is that okay?”

Yuugi sucked in a breath, found that he  _ could _ breathe, and let the air burst out of him in a rush. “Yeah!” he gasped, only realizing  _ what _ he had said after it was said. And he was just as taken aback as Atem as he mumbled,  _ “Yeah, _ that’s… that’s okay.  _ Really _ okay.”

Atem didn’t answer. He looked utterly speechless, as if he hadn’t expected such blind, easy agreement. But when Yuugi’s pulse slowed enough for him to smile,  _ Atem _ smiled, too. Slowly, a shy joy behind it that Yuugi adored on sight and would have given anything to preserve. But he could do nothing in the moment save keep smiling and squeeze Atem’s hand when it found his own. And as he calmed, Yuugi remembered how Atem fell silent  _ before, _ as they made out. How flustered he’d been, and– 

“Was that what you almost asked me?” he asked. “Right before Mama walked in?”

The color that had calmed in Atem’s cheeks flared back up again, but his smile remained bright and easy. “Yes, it was. But it was an impulsive reac– An impulsive thought,” he corrected, but Yuugi heard the near-word and his throat felt tight. “And I realized immediately that that wasn’t possible, even if you had agreed. Not right now.”

Even  _ if. _ Yuugi’s heart did a funny twist, and he pulled Atem close again to soften the ache. 

Atem instantly returned the embrace, clutching Yuugi tight as he buried his face in his shoulder.  _ “Thank you.” _

Yuugi shut his eyes, but didn’t respond, even though he should. Even though he  _ wanted _ to say how much he loved him, how Atem didn’t need to thank him, that Yuugi  _ couldn’t believe _ that he had actually wanted that, and that they would be. But he couldn’t say any of that, because.

_ How. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! The woes of living in a pre-smart phone or personal computer world. We explore them.
> 
>  **Next Chapter:** Sunday, April 26th
> 
> **[twitter](https://twitter.com/Phoebeus14) :: [writing blog](http://phoebeusproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [ygo blog](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [story art](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/post/174516169038/story-art)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the days before smart phones and cell phones, when having a single access point to the Internet was a luxury, not a given? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

“Wait, _what_ are you wanting?”

“Keep it down!!” Yuugi glanced over his shoulder, checking for anyone on the road who might overhear them. There was no one in sight on the sidewalk, but Yuugi still felt really exposed as he turned back to Jounouchi, and it made his voice tight. “I just– _I’m just asking–_ The place you get those tapes from?” 

_“Yeah?”_ Jounouchi coaxed, arching an eyebrow at him expectantly. But when Yuugi tried to find his words again his friend cut off the effort with a sudden smirk. _“You know,_ I kind of assumed you wouldn’t be interested in that anymore, what with Atem and all. I didn’t even bother to ask the last time I got something. _Are you and Atem not–”_

 _“That’s not it!”_ Yuugi hissed as quietly as he could, still too loud to his own ears. That wasn’t even– After all, he– he wasn’t _as_ curious as he might have been to know what Jounouchi had gotten, and he hadn’t even discussed _that_ with Atem yet, if he’d be comfortable with him still… But that _wasn’t the point!!_ “I’m not– I’m not asking for _kicks,_ okay? I just–” Yuugi huffed, deflating down into a beet red slump. “I have my reasons, okay? Just, please don’t ask. _Please!”_

“Okay, _okay!”_ Jounouchi still eyed him like he was trying to figure out his secret. Or not laugh. But bless him, he didn’t ask again. He just asked, “Seriously though, what do you need? I can’t get it if I don’t know what I’m asking for. And if you aren’t direct about it, we might end up with another, uh, _mix-up.”_

“R-right.”

“Like that time you tried to describe a film with a girl in a pool, and–” 

_“Don’t give examples!!”_

“I _was_ surprised when you asked for that. Or rather didn’t,” Jounouchi allowed, as if that was supposed to make it _better._

Yuugi rubbed his palms down his face, dying a little inside. “J-just, _no._ Okay?” 

_“Okay!”_

Yuugi deflated again with a long sigh, a conflicted mess of humiliated frustration and gratitude towards his best friend flooding him. Whatever he might say, Jounouchi had given up his spare half-hour between summer jobs to meet him and hear him out, skipping his lunch in the bargain. Yuugi had brought him a sandwich and soda to tide him over, but _still._ Jounouchi was just standing there, no judgment or impatience in his eyes as he waited for an answer. There might be some amusement there, and he _might_ have an immediate outburst over Yuugi’s request, but he’d never see him any differently for it. And he’d _try_ to help: That’s just what best friends did, right? Best friends and accomplices of vice. Yuugi cleared his throat, shook his body out to clear some of the tension out, then quietly asked, “Do you know how I could get a hold of something with guys?”

Jounouchi blinked at him… then burst into a grin. _“Oh,_ gay sex! _Of course,_ I should have known!”

Yuugi facepalmed, then took a quick, anxious look around: Still nobody. _Good,_ his heart might yet survive. 

“Sorry, man,” Jounouchi said, and Yuugi forgot his nerves as he focused back on his friend and his apologetic grin. “No can do. The guy I pay off to go grab things at the adult store won’t go near the places that sell that. Not even if you pay extra. He’s kind of an ass about it, actually.” 

_“Oh.”_ Yuugi slumped a bit in disappointment, but still relaxed now that the request had been made and answered. But a heartbeat later he tensed again and did a double-take, because, _“Wait,_ you’ve asked him before?”

Jounouchi’s eyes bugged out, then he averted his gaze to look out across the street, scratching at his cheek. “Ah…”

Yuugi stared at him, and waited for something, but Jounouchi just looked more uncomfortable by the second. So eventually Yuugi smiled and tried to say, “Hey, you know that I wouldn’t–”

_“Yeah.”_

“I mean, _look at me,_ you _know_ that I– And it’s _us!_ No matter what I was doing myself, I’d still never–”

 _“I know, I know,”_ Jounouchi cut him off again, shooting him such an uneasy look that Yuugi stopped. But he kept smiling, kept trying to look reassuring, and eventually Jounouchi looked a _little_ less uncomfortable, ducking his head to frown at the sidewalk. “Just, _don’t ask,_ okay Yuugi?”

Yuugi pursed his lips a bit, but nodded. “Okay.” He wanted to say more. Wanted to say that he understood. That if Jounouchi was anything like him, going years hyperfocusing on girls because it was easy, because it was all but encouraged and thrown in his face and easy to accept, only to realize that wasn’t the _whole_ picture, and look back with thrown understanding at his own past ‘admirations’… but maybe that wasn’t how it was for Jounouchi. Maybe he had known all along and just ignored it. 

But whatever the case may be, Yuugi wanted to say it was okay. He was there for him. If he wanted to talk about it, he could.

But he didn’t. Jounouchi had asked him to stop, so he would. And Yuugi knew he really didn’t need to say anything. _Jounouchi knew._ He just needed to accept himself, first.

So Yuugi grinned, and waited, and eventually Jounouchi spoke again. “You, uh… sorry that I can’t help.”

“It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.” 

Jounouchi nodded. “Right. Good.” Then he sucked in a breath and glanced at Yuugi out of the corner of his eye, a tight grin on his face. _“Thanks.”_

Yuugi didn’t answer. He just smiled.

* * *

While he’d learned _something_ from the exchange, Yuugi still wasn’t sure what to do. 

On the way home he hovered across the street from a shop just a couple blocks off his usual school route. He and Jounouchi and Honda had ogled the adult store with its bright red signs and teasing, skimpy posters a hundred times before, but they’d never dared go near it. 

And after a few hovering, uncertain seconds, Yuugi laughed at himself and turned away now, too. They’d never let him in there. Even without his school uniform, he was still obviously too young. Besides, nothing about those smiling, long-lashed ladies suggested he’d find what he was looking for in that shop– unless they kept things like that more out of sight, he wouldn’t know. And even if they _did_ have some gay content for purchase, Yuugi doubted any porn would tell him what he really needed to know.

But, _he didn’t know what else to do._

…Well, except _that._ And he was scared as hell of trying _that._

But if he couldn’t find any videos, then his options were _that,_ or to dive in blind. And he wasn’t about to do that.

Of course, he knew they’d be fine, at least as far as interest went. Atem had been so happy when he agreed, and Yuugi– the very idea of it left his skin buzzing. He hadn’t been able to get his mind off of it, or to take his eyes off Atem as they fetched those eggs and ate dinner and spent time with the family. But Atem had been just as bad, blatantly staring at him the whole evening. It had tugged at something inside Yuugi until he came back from his bath to find Atem standing in the middle of their room, staring at their bed with a vague, far-off expression. Then he noticed him there and looked at him again with _those eyes_ and Yuugi hadn’t thought about it: He pushed him onto the bed.

Atem’s shocked, delighted gasp had sealed the deal.

After they finished messing around and collapsed in a tangled, spent pile on the covers, it had still been way too early to sleep, and they weren’t tired. So Yuugi had tugged himself free long enough to straighten their pajamas out and grab some tissues, then went to grab the Nintendo 64. He dragged the entire system across the room until he could hand the controller to his still lounging boyfriend, and Atem took to the invitation happily, but refused to actually start until Yuugi was back in his arms, lying on top of him, the position perfect for resting the controller on Yuugi’s back. They talked and laughed and cuddled as Atem played, and Yuugi loved it, loved how he could feel Atem’s laughter vibrating through him when they laid together like that. But the game went on for a while, and silence settled in as Atem focused, and questions slid back through the cracks of Yuugi’s focus.

Because, truly, _how_ would that work? Yuugi knew the basics of the basics when it came to anal sex, but that couldn’t be all he needed to know. Would it work the same way for men as it did with ladies? Would Atem like it the same way? _Did_ ladies even like that? Thinking back on it, Yuugi realized the high-pitched cries of the ladies in those videos he watched could have been put on, or even pained. No, their pleasure was _certainly_ faked in some way, he knew that, but was what they represented even possible? Could it translate over for him and Atem? Yuugi didn't know, and it wasn’t like he knew anyone to ask, and porn featured all sorts of things at times that he couldn’t imagine felt good. At least, not to him. But, it _had_ to feel good, right? Or be capable of feeling good? _Obviously,_ or else no one would ever agree to do it! Clearly Atem must think so. After all, _he’d_ requested it… Right? 

That thought hummed through Yuugi’s mind a long time that night, and he had _tried_ to ask Atem about it, about what had given him the idea and why he wanted _that_ role in the act. He _should have_ asked, but when Atem noticed his distraction and paused the game and asked if he was alright, Yuugi couldn’t get out the words. So he just said he was thinking about Sunday. That he was nervous, but excited. And Atem had smiled so beautifully that Yuugi forgot to worry.

For a while.

But now he had to properly _deal_ with those questions, and they swirled uncomfortably in his belly as he walked into the game shop, and the sight of his grandfather behind the counter didn’t help.

“Hey there,” _Jii-chan_ greeted, grinning at Yuugi’s surprised face. “Expecting Atem-kun?”

“Well, uh, _yeah_ actually.”

“I just sent him down to the post office for some packages they left a notice about this morning. They must have some new blood down there, they didn’t know to knock on the house door before we’re open. But Atem-kun said he’ll sort it out and be back by five.”

“Right.” Yuugi looked beyond his grandpa, focusing on the storage room doorway. “In that case, is it okay if I use the shop computer for a while? I want to work on some summer homework.”

His grandfather frowned. “Didn’t your mother say to use the library computers for your studies?”

Yuugi shrugged, smiling around the pressure in his throat. “I met up with Jounouchi-kun this afternoon, and the library with the big lab was on the other side of town from his job. I didn’t want to take that much of a detour. But Mama still wants to hear about my progress at dinner tonight, _so…”_

His grandfather kept staring at him, like he _knew_ he was lying. He just wasn’t sure _why_ he was lying. But Yuugi did his best not to twitch or shift, and after a couple beats his grandpa just shrugged. “Sure, just don’t take too long. And remember, it’s as slow as a turtle. On brand, I’ll admit, but you can’t watch any videos.”

Yuugi grimaced, trying not to wonder why he knew that. It didn’t _have_ to mean anything gross, after all. _Nope._ “Thanks, I’ll just be a few minutes.”

Hopefully. 

Once he was actually sitting in the storage room though, waiting for the computer to start up, it hit Yuugi just what a truly bad idea this was. The screen was completely visible from the doorway, and there was no door to close, and anyone who came into the room would see what he was looking at!

Which– which was _fine._ He just had to avoid any images. If he kept everything set to text, he’d be fine. And all he _needed_ was text. So, _that was fine._

Except the websites wouldn’t work with him.

It took minutes to get the computer up and connected to a search engine, and when he typed in the first term that occurred to him – anal sex – the hyperlink text was way bigger and bolder than necessary, and _far_ too easy to read from across the room. And even after he figured out how to shrink the font and clicked a promising looking link, a giant image of a naked man filled up the screen, the photo taken from behind to show off his–

Yuugi stared at bare skin for four, five seconds, then some stray noise in the next room reawoke his brain and he rushed to shut the browser. Back on the desktop with its safe, silly cartoon of a turtle, Yuugi put his elbows on the table and rubbed at his face, his pulse drumming noisily in his ear. 

This was a _bad idea._

But… he had to. This was the only avenue left open to him, so he _had_ to. 

Yuugi took a deep breath, held it, then let it go as he clicked on the browser icon again.

Rewalking through the steps, he skipped that first link and tried again, opening and closing pages as they loaded at a snail’s pace. Each one revealed pictures of bare or exaggerated bodies, animated ads, and erotic pop-ups that screamed of virus threats, slowed down the entire process, and shot Yuugi’s pulse back into overdrive because they _refused to go away._ He was still fighting to close the latest one when his grandfather called, “Are you done in there yet?!”

“I-it’s frozen again, _Jii-chan!”_ he cried, rapidly bending over to unplug the machine, plug it back in, then smash the power button as he heard footsteps approaching. “I had to restart it!”

“Aw, not again,” his grandfather sighed, stalling in the doorway to look at him with a frown. “You sure you don’t want to wait until you can go to the library? This seems like self-torture.”

Yuugi clenched his hands on his lap as the startup process binged and rang out behind him. “No, I need to get this done. What time is it?” 

“About four I think.”

 _“Good,_ good… I mean, if you’re okay with it, I’ll stick with it until Atem comes back. If I’m not done by then.”

“I sure hope you are,” his grandfather said, sympathy clear in his voice, but his gaze lingered a _little_ too long on the waking screen for Yuugi’s liking. The computer wouldn’t remember what was up when it lost power and reload everything, **_right?_ **

Apparently not, because it caught on an ‘improperly shut off screen’ and then switched back to that basic desktop screen when Yuugi hit enter. But Yuugi was still glad his grandfather had left before it got that far: He would have given himself a stomach ulcer waiting to find out with his grandpa _right at his shoulder._

That little relief passed, Yuugi sighed and tried again.

He didn’t need to do another hard restart after that, _thankfully,_ since he was careful not to click any link with even a sniff of loud ads behind it. But he still struggled to find anything of real use, and soon enough he gave up on the ‘anal sex’ results and focused on refining the search itself, tossing in words like ‘tips’ and ‘advice’ and ‘guides’ and ‘gay’ before piling them all in at once. The initial results were far from promising, just tidbits on ‘efficient underwear’ and advertisements that were clearly money-motivated, even if they didn’t infect his whole screen. But eventually Yuugi stumbled on a medical-looking page that covered a _lot_ of stuff, like stats from health control institutes and warnings about infectious diseases, stuff that obviously didn’t apply to _him,_ since he’d never been with anyone before Atem. 

And _Atem…_ well, he’d been with him for a couple of months now, and gone to the doctor for basic check-ups and vaccinations and stuff. If he was infected with something he didn’t even remember contracting, and somehow carried it over via Zorc’s magic, wouldn’t they know by now?

Given the symptoms described on the page, _most definitely._

Yuugi spent only a few seconds focused on the topic then moved on, reading until he finally found _something_ of potential use: Preparation. The page spent a lot of time repeating safety stuff that Yuugi could have guessed by common sense, but it still had _some_ interesting points to make. But after the third or fourth mention of ‘vagina’ he realized this wasn’t for him, either.

He sighed and skimmed glumly through the rest of the article before hitting the back button, musing over what he had read as he waited for the search page to reload. There had been a _little_ useful information in there, about lubricants and positions and other stuff that might carry over. If this was the best he could find, he could make due.

Yuugi tapped on the desk, still waiting on the page… and looked down, frowning down at his fingers.

He’d need to trim his nails.

* * *

“I’m sorry, sir, I’m afraid this item is not scanning properly. Do you mind if I run over to the aisle for a price check?”

Yuugi opened his mouth to protest, then shut it and glanced at the people in line behind him. 

An older man in a business suit was standing right at his back, eyeing Yuugi’s items with the faintest of grins.

Yuugi dodged his eye.

Behind the man was a teen boy with a young girl. She was tugging on his pants and begging for candy. The boy sighed and snapped at the girl to be quiet. He didn’t even notice Yuugi looking at him.

Yuugi whirled back around, glanced at the troublesome box of condoms, then looked back up and swallowed. “Sure, go ahead.”

The lady behind the counter smiled at him politely, then stepped away, leaving him standing there with the line.

Yuugi focused on the cigarettes on display behind the counter, trying hard not to think. Or look down. Or turn around.

The little girl swore she’d be good if her brother would just buy her some chocolate.

* * *

_“Ah.”_ Atem spun the desk chair to smile at Yuugi as he walked into the bedroom. “You’re back.”

Yuugi didn’t answer or return the smile, whirling around instantly to shut the door, then dropping his shopping bag with a sigh of relief. He _made it!_

When he recovered enough to turn around, Atem wasn’t smiling anymore. He was staring at him, his eyes wary and body tense. “Should I be concerned?”

 _Then_ Yuugi smiled, shaking his head with an exhausted grin. _“No,_ no I… Sorry, I was just worried Mama or _Jii-chan_ would catch me.” Atem’s frown said that didn’t really answer anything or reassure him, but Yuugi just leaned back against the door and slid down to sit on the floor, letting his eyes fall shut as he sighed again, _“Ah!_ What a day!”

“A tough one I take it?”

“Mhmm,” Yuugi hummed, just sitting there decompressing as all of the weird tension of the day seeped out of him… Then he heard footsteps and opened his eyes to see Atem kneeling down in front of him. He smiled sleepily at him and watched Atem’s sharp gaze slide from anxious to curious. “Sorry. I’m fine, really. I just–” Yuugi motioned at the bag beside him, and only _then_ thought to blush, remembering _why_ he’d done this. “I just… I bought some stuff. For Sunday.”

Atem, who had already turned to the bag and pulled on a plastic strap to look inside, froze. And Yuugi watched with a mix of embarrassment and interest as stifled reactions flew across his face, culminating in Atem pulling the bag closer and looking inside properly.

Atem didn’t speak, his expression reflecting some unheard and unseen implosion as he stared, and Yuugi filled the ticking seconds by fidgeting and speaking for him. “I looked on the Internet, you know? And they suggested that stuff. I don’t know if we’ll need all of it, but I thought, better safe than sorry, right?”

Atem remained silent, looking down into the bag for what felt like an eternity before saying, “Good,” in a sudden, sharp sort of way. He let go of the bag, letting the plastic fold back over the contents, and faced him. And Yuugi was relieved to see him smiling, even if the expression was a bit shaky. “That’s good. It’s good you thought to prepare. I didn’t even think about it. Thank you.”

Yuugi shook his head. “It’s fine. I just wanted to know what to expect. Or– well, what to do, if I’m honest. And I ended up stumbling into this along the way.” He gestured towards the bag but kept his eyes on Atem, a smile rising shyly to his face. “I just want to do this right, you know?”

Atem kept smiling too, but his expression went soft as he listened, and Yuugi suspected he might thank him again.

But he didn’t. Atem crawled closer, right between his legs, and sat up to settle his hands on Yuugi’s hips. He leaned in until they were close, chest-to-chest, and brought his lips to his ear.

“So?” he asked, and Yuugi blinked over his shoulder, a buzz playing up his cheeks and neck at the tone of Atem’s voice. “Are you going to tell me what you found out?”

Yuugi sucked in a breath, held it, and the teasing, _genuine_ question ricocheted through his brain until the air fell back out of him as a weird squeak.

Atem laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Last Chapter:** Sunday, May 31st
> 
> **[twitter](https://twitter.com/Phoebeus14) :: [writing blog](http://phoebeusproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [ygo blog](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [story art](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/post/174516169038/story-art)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that's a wrap, people. It's a bit crazy to think that it's over, but here we are. While I acknowledge that this wasn't the original stopping point for this series, I think it's rounded out fairly well with this as the ending, so I've made peace with closing the door here. In the end, whether it was here or some epilogue fifty years down the road, I think we all know the inevitable last line would always be, 'And they were happy'. (So there.) 
> 
> And as an aside, I couldn't help but throw an easter egg into this chapter paying homage to my favorite comic from the anthology [Puzzle Peaches](https://celepom.tumblr.com/post/182744931612/celepom-puzzle-peaches-by-sally-vinter) by Celepom and Auroblaze. What is it? I'm not saying~ You'll have to get the anthology, then come back and try to catch it yourself! Let's just call it an interactive activity, eh?
> 
> Anyways, thank you again to everyone who followed this series over the last three years -- four if you count Holiday Earworms -- and thank you to anyone who joined in recently or even after this author note. This was a delight to write, and a delight to share, and I'm going to relish taking my time reading and responding to any backlog of comments I've built up. You made it all worthwhile.

_“Uhnnnn.”_ Yuugi rolled over, hiding from the shrill sound of his alarm by burying his face in Atem’s shoulder. The clock was going off right over his head, though, and it continued to ring as Yuugi ranted, _Shut uuuuup, shut up shut up you stupid thing shut up,_ inside his head. As though he had heard him, Atem moved, sitting up to deal with the sound as Yuugi whined silently about the loss of his warmth. Then the noise cut off and Yuugi accepted the loss with a sigh of relief, melting back into his pillow. _Ah,_ lovely… It would be so easy to fall back asleep. 

But, he couldn’t. They had set the alarm, so they needed to get up for something. And Yuugi knew Atem would prod him awake if he didn’t get up soon. The only question was _how_ he’d go about it. Some days he was astoundingly sweet, others he could be a downright ass about it. But today, Atem didn’t do anything. He laid back down next to Yuugi and wrapped an arm around his waist, not saying a word. Not doing anything. And that woke Yuugi up like nothing else could, and he opened an eye to discover Atem looking back at him, their noses near-brushing, the expression on his face just– 

A shock ran down Yuugi’s spine and he breathed in hard. Oh. Right. _Sunday._

Yuugi returned Atem’s unblinking stare, suddenly and sharply awake… and then reached over, cupping his other self’s elbow. The touch released the silence and Atem murmured, “I heard your mother go downstairs a while ago. She should be gone by now.”

Yuugi grinned against the tension, excitement bubbling up with the thought, “You were already awake?”

Atem smiled back and shifted closer, pressing up against Yuugi until he was practically on top of him. “Not for long. I just couldn’t get back to sleep.” He gave Yuugi such a pointed stare that he forgot to breathe, or answer. They stared at each other, waiting… until Yuugi shifted his grip and tugged. 

Atem followed the call instantly, scooting up until Yuugi could grasp the back of his neck and guide him into a kiss. Atem sighed into it, and Yuugi could _feel_ his relief, but he didn’t deepen it any further. He was self-conscious of his breath, and he needed to ask– he slid back and relaxed into the pillow, searching Atem’s eyes. “Do you still want to?”

Atem looked at him for a held moment… then nodded. The motion made their noses truly brush, and Yuugi’s toes tingled. It must have shown somehow on his face, because Atem flashed him a smile before sliding off the bed. “I’ll go wash up.” Yuugi flushed at the mention, but Atem gave him no time to dwell on the thought. He grabbed Yuugi’s arms and tugged him up on his feet, so close to him that they could have kissed again. They _didn’t,_ but the possibility still thrummed through Yuugi’s heart as Atem held him in his gaze. “I’ll be right back.” 

Yuugi nodded, his brain feeling loose inside his head. “Okay.”

Atem nodded back… but it was some seconds before he smiled to break their stare. He leaned in for a quick brush of a kiss, then turned and walked away before Yuugi could respond. Opening the door, Atem tugged his shirt down before going out into the hall. The shirt Yuugi had pushed up out of the way last night. 

Yuugi’s face warmed over at the memory, but he knocked it loose with a head shake. He couldn’t get distracted and just stand around. He needed to get ready. And sucking in a long, head-clearing breath through his mouth, he turned back to the bed and stripped it. 

Once he started moving, it was all mindless action. Within minutes he’d redressed the mattress with an old, threadbare set of sheets he’d retired last year, his current ones tossed in a heap at the foot of the bed. There was no point in folding it all up nicely or putting it away, he’d be switching it all back later, immediately after.

Yuugi stalled in his movements and clutched a pillow as he thought that, and turned back to eye the bed. He wasn’t sure if all of this prep-work was necessary, but he just had no idea what sort of mess would be involved. That lube looked like it could be trouble, and if they wanted to avoid awkward questions about laundry and running the washer in the middle of the day–

He grimaced at the imagined questions and tossed the pillow onto the bed, refocusing on his goal. He moved the trash can and tissues within reach of the bed, grabbed one of the mints Atem liked and popped it in his mouth, pulled out a stored water bottle and set it on his desk, fetched the Jenga box from the game shelf and opened it up– only to drop wooden blocks onto the floor. 

Face red and hands shaking, Yuugi picked them up and stuffed them back in the box. Seriously, why was he embarrassed?! There was no one around to see him stumble! Yuugi scoffed at himself, tossed the Jenga box back on the shelf, and scooped up the items he’d been hiding inside the game. Climbing up on the freshly made bed, he pushed aside the collar and cuffs and jewelry and glasses he and Atem stored on the headboard shelf during the night, and set down the lube and condom box– 

“Oh, you’re up early!”

–only to shove them back before whirling around to face the door. A racket of thumps behind him said things had fallen to the floor, and Yuugi flinched. **_Why_ ** _was that headboard not flush against the wall?!_

Sugoroku stood in the open doorway, his eyes wide with surprise and sudden curiosity. He glanced over Yuugi’s shoulder, looking where his grandson had just been focusing. Yuugi knew there wasn’t anything there now, but if his grandfather had _already_ seen… then Sugoroku looked down.

At the sheets. And the comforter.

And the bedclothes on the floor.

…It didn’t mean anything on sight. It couldn’t. 

But when Sugoroku glanced back up, he was trying not to laugh, and Yuugi wanted to bury his face in his hands and cry. _Whhhhhhhhhhy?!?!_

“I don’t usually see you up this early on a Sunday,” Sugoroku offered, and Yuugi stalled his internal cries for death, relaxing a little. But _only_ a little, his grandfather could still swing around to ask directly.

“Yeah, and you aren’t usually about this late, right?” Yuugi tossed back, climbing off the bed to stand beside it. He pressed his palms against his thighs to keep his hands still. “I thought you took a walk right after breakfast.” His grandpa hadn’t given up that habit, _right?_ If he had– 

_“Heh heh,_ I guess I forgot to mention it last night,” Sugoroku said, scratching his cheek with a grin. Instantly Yuugi wasn’t frustrated or anxious, but suspicious. “I slipped yesterday in the store room, and my hip is still a little sore.”

Yuugi’s eyes went wide, and then he frowned. “What do you mean _you slipped?_ Are you okay? Did you fall down? How did I not know about this?!”

 _“Yes, yes,_ I’m fine.” Sugoroku gave a long-suffering sigh and glowered at him, but that just made Yuugi glower back harder. “Your mother helped me up and fretted over me for a good hour while you boys were out, but I eventually convinced her that I’m fine. It’s just _sore,_ that’s all.”

“Still, if you feel bad enough you couldn’t take your walk–”

“I’m just _resting_ it, Yuugi-kun. Really, this is why I didn’t tell you.” 

“Didn’t tell him what?”

They both turned and saw Atem standing behind Sugoroku, his pajamas still on and a thick pile of towels folded under his arm. Yuugi’s heart gave a little flip at the sight of him, but he ignored it, focusing his frown back on his grandfather. _“Jii-chan_ fell yesterday and he didn’t tell us.” 

Sugoroku gave another annoyed sigh as Atem startled and fixed a mirroring frown on his back. “What do you mean _he fell?_ Did he get hurt?”

 _“No,”_ Sugoroku repeated, turning to glare at Atem now. “And Yuugi-kun is wrong, I never said I fell. I said I _slipped._ And it’s just a sprain.”

“That counts as hurt,” Yuugi insisted. “If it’s bothering you, you should see a doctor.”

“Oh, _should I?”_ Sugoroku retorted, not giving him time to reply before waving at the ceiling. _“Kami-sama!”_ he yelled, loud enough that both boys flinched. “Save me from the loving care of high-strung daughters and grandsons!”

 _“Jii-chan,”_ Yuugi whined, planning to tell him that he was being overdramatic, but Sugoroku focused back on him with a grin before he could.

“Really, Yuugi-kun, I’m fine! Look–” Sugoroku did a little spin, kicked one foot and then the other to the side, then wiggled his hips back and forth, all without a single hint of pain. It was Yuugi and Atem who flinched. “See, perfectly good!” Oh, it was certainly _spry,_ but Yuugi wouldn’t call it good. But perhaps the display had been purposely horrendous, because Sugoroku sidestepped Atem and walked down the hall before either teen could recover enough to respond. “Anyways, I have to open up the shop in a few minutes! Yui-chan left breakfast on the table for you, so go down and eat at some point!”

And that was that. They heard Sugoroku walk down the stairs, down the hall below, and out of their hearing range as he presumably headed for the shop… and Atem turned to Yuugi.

The grumbling musings in Yuugi’s head about stubborn grandparents and unsightly dances died in an instant, and he watched Atem watch at him, search his face for– for _something,_ Yuugi wasn’t sure what. Then Atem asked, “Do you want to eat breakfast?”

Yuugi tilted his head slightly, meeting him pointed gaze for pointed gaze. “Are you hungry?”

Atem shook his head, and Yuugi smiled before he even spoke. “No, but if you are, I could eat. We could always–”

Yuugi put up a hand, then waited until Atem noticed. Once he did, he smiled wider and turned the gesture into a wave towards the door. “Lock it?” 

Atem looked at him in surprise, then relaxed, letting his relief show as he walked that final step into the room and shut the door behind him. He locked it without looking back, without breaking their gaze, and he kept Yuugi’s gaze as he came closer, dropping the towels on the bed as he closed the distance between them. And Yuugi waited, happy to look at him as Atem stalled just within arm’s reach, and murmured, “I finished… Are you good?”

Yuugi grinned, fighting back the urge to fidget in anticipation. “Yes… _No!”_ He corrected, startling himself just as he was about to reach for Atem. Atem tensed, too, a spark of alarm and then disappointment showing on his face before he schooled it away. But his expression relaxed properly as Yuugi relaxed and motioned at the bed. “No, it– The stuff fell behind the bed when _Jii-chan_ came in. I kind of panicked and knocked them away.”

 _“Oh.”_ Atem glanced at the bed, and before Yuugi could process it he knelt down on the floor and stuck his head and arms under the bed. “Back there?”

“Hey!” Yuugi stepped back out of the way, then recovered and knelt down beside him, putting a hand on Atem’s back. “I didn’t mean _you_ need to–”

“Got them.” Yuugi shut his mouth as Atem wiggled his way back out and pushed himself up on his hands. He shook his hair free of imaginary dust, then offered Yuugi the box and tube. “Here.”

Yuugi looked down at the items… and shyly accepted them, a pleased grin on his face. “Thanks,” he breathed, squeezing the two items in his hands as he looked up.

Atem was staring at him again, his gaze warm and hopeful in a way that made Yuugi’s throat tight. But when he spoke, Atem’s voice was light, and amused. “My glasses and the television remote are down there, too. And I think I saw a Gameboy cartridge.”

Yuugi instantly beamed. “What, and you didn’t check which game it was?” 

Atem grinned back and bent over to crawl under the bed again, but Yuugi laughed and moved to stop him.

“Stop, _stop!_ It’ll keep.” Yuugi couldn’t grab him properly with his hands full, but Atem allowed himself to be caught in his arms and pulled back up, and turned in his grip to face him… and Yuugi’s laughter faded as they looked at each other, chest-to-chest, kneeling there on the floor.

They went quiet.

They were so close that it was hard to even hold a gaze, but Yuugi’s focus shifted between Atem’s eyes in a vain effort to, and he saw Atem doing the same, looking at him, so still that Yuugi wondered if he was breathing… then Yuugi made the whole thing worse by leaning in closer to brush their noses together.

The move broke the tension even as it built it up, and Atem’s eyes crinkled with a smile at the contact. “…What did those websites of yours say about starting?” 

Yuugi grinned, tightening his hold on his other self until they were even closer, his nose poking Atem’s cheek. It was a stupidly awkward position. “Nothing really. Just about later. I don’t think there’s anything different about how you start.”

Atem seemed pleased by that theory. The smile in his eyes grew as fingers slid up Yuugi’s back, making him squirm. He was lucky he didn’t poke Atem in the eye. “In that case–” A hand caught Yuugi behind the neck and squeezed just enough to keep him still as Atem adjusted to pull him into a kiss.

Yuugi fell into it gladly, snickering against his boyfriend’s lips as Atem strove to deepen the kiss. He was successful in a heartbeat, though, coaxing Yuugi to open for him with just a touch of tongue, and Yuugi’s laugh soon bled into a moan.

For a few minutes they continued on like that, down familiar, wonderful roads as they struggled to stand and get on the bed without ever coming apart. But the effort was a mindless one, lost to the distraction of wandering hands catching on shirt hems and touching skin. Clothes soon joined the sheets and blankets on the floor, and before they even got on the bed, they were both naked.

Yuugi gasped as his head hit the pillow, dizzy and baffled that he had somehow ended up on bottom. That wasn’t the plan– though he forgot _why_ for a second when Atem straddled his thighs and leaned over him in a way that made his cock slide along his. Yuugi bit back a cry at the sharp, sudden pleasure that shot through him and clutched the back of Atem’s thighs. Atem let loose a long, hard breath that must have been his own cry stifled down, and it was all Yuugi could do to hold on, watch as Atem kept moving, kept letting out silent, open-mouthed gasps as they watched at each other. Yuugi shivered against another scrap of pleasure, so tempted to let Atem just _go–_ but he slid his grip to Atem’s hips and held down. Held him still. _“Stop.”_

Atem stilled, and looked down at him like he expected a _very good_ explanation for the disruption, because he _knew_ Yuugi was enjoying it. 

Yuugi shook his head, swallowing and gasping until he regained enough breath to speak. “You’re going to make me come doing that.”

Atem was too dazed himself to react a second, and then he grinned, clearly undaunted. “You said orgasming first helps with endurance during the act. Wasn’t that your reasoning for us ‘staying up’ last night?”

“Orgasming _recently,_ not right beforehand.” Yuugi suspected he _could_ get it up again if called for, but he didn’t want to test that. Not today. 

_Atem,_ however–

Yuugi glanced down at the heavy cock Atem had been rubbing against him, but didn’t touch it. He just rubbed Atem’s hips with his thumbs as he stared at it. “And even if that wasn’t a problem, I don’t want to rush this. In fact–” Yuugi tipped his chin up to look over his head at the headboard, then pushed indicatingly on Atem’s hips, asking without words for him to get up.

Atem frowned, but obliged and slid off of him, freeing Yuugi to sit up. But he sounded honestly indignant when Yuugi twisted around and reached for his alarm clock. “You want to put a clock on this?” 

“No, but Mama is usually back by eleven.” Yuugi set the alarm to ten thirty, and then thought better of it and pushed it back to ten. Then he put the clock back. “If the alarm reminds us, we don’t have to think about it during.” Or they would hear it and have enough time to finish up without fear or the pressure to rush _too_ much.

“…That’s a good point.” Yuugi smiled to hear the trouble gone from Atem’s voice, then his boyfriend was pressing up against his back, embracing him from behind and kissing a spot on Yuugi’s neck that always made him snicker. _“So smart._ How did I get so lucky?”

Yuugi beamed, then turned over, forcing Atem to let him loose or risk a shoulder to the nose. Once on his back again, Yuugi reached up and returned the tight hug. “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.” 

Atem’s audible breath-out spoke of a smile, and Yuugi saw it when he leaned back enough to look him in the eye. For a few sweet heartbeats, they settled in like that, smiling and content in each other’s arms… Then Atem paired his adoring gaze with a soft, “I would like it very much if you started now.” 

Yuugi’s breath caught, and he searched his boyfriend’s eyes again… then nodded.

The smile Atem gave him could have caught a heart, assuming he hadn’t won it already. 

Yuugi bit his lip and rolled them over towards the wall until Atem was on his back and Yuugi was between his legs, hovering over him. And for a moment he was trapped, caught by the relief and want that touched Atem’s face at simply _being_ in that position. Beneath him. 

_It was–_

Yuugi sat back and turned to the desk. It was a tough stretch, but he could _just_ reach the lube without getting up, and he settled back on the bed and dropped the tube on the sheets. “We’ll need a towel. And one of the pillows. But _ah,_ not yet. _Maybe.”_

Atem cocked a brow, but didn’t ask. He let himself be led as Yuugi wished, arching helpfully up when Yuugi grabbed one of the towels and slid it underneath his thighs and ass. Once things were adjusted, he settled back into it with his knees bent and his heels on the bed, and thread his fingers together over his stomach and relaxed with a smile. He was the perfect image of serenity, and something inside Yuugi unwound to see it. He smiled back, holding Atem’s gaze as he thumbed one of his shins… then picked the lube back up. 

Out of the corner of his eye Yuugi caught Atem eyeing the tube curiously, and he breathed deep to clear nerves and call up knowledge as he unscrewed the cap. “I explained this to you, right?”

“Of course. As you said, it’s fairly straightforward.”

“Yeah, but it’s still kind of cool what you can do with it.” Yuugi tossed the cap towards the desk, then squeezed a coin’s worth of the clear substance onto his fingers. “There were only basic choices at the convenience store, but even there, there were different kinds. Lubes that heat up, and naturally cool, other flavors and stuff.”

“Oh?”

Yuugi grinned and looked up, pleased by the clear interest in his boyfriend’s voice. He rubbed the liquid between his fingers and dropped the tube on the empty side of the bed, where he could still reach it easily. Then he slid up closer, between Atem’s knees. “Yeah, though only some of it can go with condoms, and I thought we should try the most basic stuff first. Though, this one _does_ have a flavor.” 

“And why did you pick–” Atem’s question caught in his throat as he sucked in a breath _hard._ He flew up on his elbows, gaping at Yuugi.

Yuugi grinned and rolled his fist up Atem’s cock again, spreading the lube from base to head and back. “Feels nice, right?” 

Atem didn’t answer. He just stared at Yuugi’s hand, the words he might have said lost as the breaths he’d denied himself came rushing out all at once. And Yuugi listened to them, his brain oddly floaty as he tightened his grip and heard Atem’s breath hitch. 

“It really makes jerking easier, huh?” he said, his words a distracted murmur as he experimented with touch. “At least, I think it does. It felt good when I tried it, anyways.” 

Atem’s gasps cut off entirely, the man tensing up before suddenly focusing on Yuugi with wide, stuck eyes. “You… Did you– _When–_ ”

Yuugi grinned, any doubt or shame he might have felt lost when he saw the shock and heat on Atem’s face. “Yes. When I was in the bath Friday.”

Atem… shook. Yuugi couldn’t see or feel it at all, but it still felt true as Atem’s gaze dropped to the hand touching him, watching the movements with eyes glassy and caught on some image, on some thought that left him shaking.

Yuugi fidgeted himself as he watched, the look on Atem’s face making him restless. “Do you like that? The idea of me getting myself off?”

Atem’s eyes fluttered shut, then open, then he murmured, _“Yes,”_ quiet but direct and free, and Yuugi loved it. He moved his hand a little faster, a little tighter at the head, and Atem’s eyes shut properly. And without that gaze on him, Yuugi burst to life, bending over to rain kisses down Atem’s stomach. The warm skin jumped against his lips.

“I don’t do that as much as I used to, do I?” Yuugi murmured, mouth still on Atem. “Especially recently, since _us,_ but even before that. I’ve held off a lot since we ‘met’. At least when I wasn’t in the washroom.” That was the only place Yuugi ever felt comfortable leaving the Puzzle out of his sight, after all, because there was still a locked door between Atem and anyone who might steal him. Yuugi laughed at himself remembering, then pressed another kiss to Atem’s stomach and felt it quiver– then catch as Yuugi squeezed lightly before returning to dragging jerks. “Even there I was self-conscious of surprising you, accidentally making you see something you wouldn’t– I mean, you could ‘see’ and ‘move’ two or three meters away from the Puzzle, right? Like when you sat at my desk at night? I couldn’t have been much farther than that in the washroom. So, if you had sought me out, _not knowing…_ or, if you _had_ wanted to peek, you could have–”

“I would never do that!” Yuugi lifted his head, startled and instantly caught. Atem was staring down at him, his arms shaking to support him, his cheeks warm– But his eyes were _sharp._ “I wanted you to have some sort of privacy, wherever I could give it! You could never– I realized I was invading it in every other way, once I _understood_ myself enough to– to understand your thoughts and heart and body weren't my own.”

…Yuugi smiled, then sat up. He continued to move his hand, but kept his touch light, even soothing as he settled his other palm on Atem’s thigh. “I never felt like you were invading with me. You know that.”

A smile cracked through Atem’s intensity, but it fell back into the haze of his pleasure. The words falling out of him were barely more than a murmur. _“I know,_ but I still left you be. At least when you were in there.” His gaze fell back to Yuugi’s hand, his voice strangled and heavy as he pressed on. “I don’t know… I don’t _know_ what I would have done. What I would have felt if I had actually seen…”

Yuugi shivered, heat running all the way to his toes and fingertips as he stared into Atem’s eyes. Even when they weren’t looking at each other, his heart clenched to see the strained love in his other self’s gaze. 

He slid his hand off Atem’s thigh and across the bed, touching the hand Atem had clenched in the sheets.

Atem looked up, and Yuugi met his gaze with a tight smile. “That was good of you, giving me space like that. But, I just wonder– I can’t help but wonder if we would have known sooner, if you had… _asked,_ I guess. If I had known you wanted to…”

He only said it because it occurred to him, but Atem’s eyes went wide, and the fist under Yuugi’s fingers quivered. “You… you would have _let me?”_

Yuugi couldn’t think. His mind was a warm clump of cotton, thoughts caught in the fluff and hanging there, stuck. But he felt the answer, felt it fall out of him on a soft, hot whisper. “I don’t know… Probably, if you had asked first. If I had truly believed that you wanted to.” It would have been mortifying, and absolutely unbelievable to process, but if he had _believed it?_ Yuugi struggled to believe Atem wanting him even now, even when that truth burned bright right at his fingertips, but still. Yuugi couldn’t look back and think he’d have balked, once the embarrassment and disbelief passed. His own feelings had been there for so long, unacknowledged even by himself, but if he had just _known_ they were reciprocated, if he had just had some sort of _push–_

Atem’s breaths were heaving out of him now, and even though Yuugi’s touch had softened to little more than a distracted jerk, he still looked so close. _So lost._ And yet still he found the willpower to speak. “No… _No._ It would have been torture to know this. To want this, if I couldn’t touch you. If– if you couldn’t touch me… _Touch me.”_

Yuugi shuddered, caught by the demand in Atem’s voice. The desperation in his eyes. 

He– he let go of him, slid down the bed, bent over and swallowed Atem’s cock. 

Atem fell back and his hips stuttered as he cried out.

Yuugi ignored the warning within the sound, trusting– no, _knowing_ Atem wouldn’t hurt him. He kept his hand on Atem’s cock and moved it over the base as he licked and sucked at the head, tasting strawberries from the lube. Atem kept biting back cries, the denied sounds coming quicker and higher as Yuugi moved. He knew the blowjob was nothing next to what Atem had managed for _him,_ but he was already so close, and it was seconds, not minutes before Atem gave a sharp gasp and filled Yuugi’s mouth.

It was a lot.

Yuugi tried to swallow it all, but he reacted too slowly and it dripped down his chin. He had to pull back before Atem was done and one last weak shot hit him in the nose. He sat back with a blink, surprised by the warmth of it, and when he looked beyond himself, he found Atem gasping and speechless as he stared up at him, at the mess on his face. He’d collapsed and let his legs fall, and the sheets were clumped up around him, the mattress exposed at the edges. Atem had pulled on them so hard, they’d come loose from the bed.

Yuugi grinned down at him, rubbing the come off his face with the back of his wrist. “You okay?”

“Why,” Atem breathed, shutting his eyes as another wave of pleasure clearly rolled through him. “Why did you… _do that?_ I wanted to–”

Yuugi’s expression softened, and he cupped Atem’s knees until his other self looked at him again. “We’re not done,” he assured. “One of the websites said coming helps, remember? It helps you relax for the next part.” It might also turn Atem into a sleepy ball of cuddles, given past experience, but if it could combat his tendency to tense up in the face of pleasure, as their sheets currently reflected, then it was worth it. But Yuugi kept that observation to himself, and as Atem’s expression relaxed, he ran his fingers up his thighs, gently kneading the skin. “Come on, don’t you feel like melted butter right now?” 

Atem hummed, letting his eyes fall shut again as Yuugi touched him and discovered for himself how relaxed he was. “Yes,” he admitted, looking up at Yuugi again through slitted eyes, _grinning._ “You could probably do anything to me right now, and I wouldn’t mind.”

Yuugi’s hands stilled, his breath catching and _not_ returning.

Atem’s grin widened.

…Yuugi swallowed. “I’m going to try and finger you now, okay?” he managed, the words strained and somehow distant to his ears. “To see if you like it. See what’s too much.”

Atem’s expression went slack, his eyes flashing.

“Just remember, it’s okay to stop. You’re supposed to work up to anal. It’s not normal to do it all in one day… I think.”

Atem remained still as Yuugi spoke, but the quiet, shallow breaths he let out betrayed him. He finally nodded, shutting his eyes again. “Please.”

Yuugi’s mouth went dry at that one beseeching word, and he nodded, too. Braced himself against his own dizziness and sat back to grab the lube. It was a little harder getting the liquid onto his fingers that time with his hands feeling numb and shaky, but the towel caught the drops Yuugi lost. Soon enough he had enough and he dropped the lube back on the bed, leaving it within easy reach as he turned back to his other self… and touched his leg. “Bend your knees for me?”

Atem remained still and tense and quiet for a heartbeat, but moved without further prompt, bending his legs until his feet were flat on the bed beside Yuugi’s hips. “Like this?”

Yuugi nodded, then stumbled to say aloud, “Yeah, that’s perfect.” Because Atem’s eyes were still shut. And that was just fine with Yuugi, because it meant Atem wouldn’t see the likely stupid look on Yuugi’s face when he looked down at that tight, tiny hole, barely visible even with Atem’s legs bent. 

Yuugi stared at it, bit his lip… and slid his hand down, carefully touching it with a finger.

He heard Atem suck in a breath and looked up, checking, but his boyfriend’s eyes remained shut. He didn’t react further, even when Yuugi waited, so Yuugi went ahead and carefully rubbed, not pressing in at all. Just touching and spreading the lube.

Atem’s expression twitched and fluttered, but Yuugi didn’t ask if he was alright. He barely dared to _breathe,_ afraid that just seeking air would disturb the strange reality of that moment. And Atem must have felt the same way, because Yuugi could swear he was holding _his_ breath, too. But that didn’t worry him. Atem’s brow was tight, but his jaw was loose. That was proof enough in Yuugi’s book that it was shock striking him, maybe even wonder. Not discomfort, not pain. He was just _feeling._

So Yuugi gathered the daring to do it, and pressed a little harder, moving his pointer finger so it could slide inside Atem. Just a bit.

It was warm.

Atem’s mouth opened slightly and his chest rose with a caught breath, and he held it as Yuugi looked down to watch as that hole gave way beneath his touch. It was… Yuugi couldn’t look away from it, riveted by the sight of his finger being sucked slowly into that dark pucker, right up to the first knuckle. The skin caught and pushed against him, fluttering pressure like it didn’t know if it wanted him there or not, but Atem didn’t seem so conflicted. He started panting the second Yuugi went still, clutching the sheets again and _tugging,_ and– and Yuugi dragged his eyes back up, and _Atem,_ he looked–

Atem opened his eyes and looked at him, the expression on his face hitting Yuugi right in the chest. _He looked so–_ “Keep going.” 

Yuugi shuddered. That order, _Atem’s voice_ so low and shaken, it… Yuugi looked back down. Struggled past his own reactions to press further, deeper, stopping only when Atem’s legs shook and that tight, _hot_ space tensed tight around him. But he relaxed again almost immediately, and Yuugi barely waited for Atem to make a needy sound before moving again. And then it would all repeat again. It made for slow progress, but Yuugi kept moving, _slowly,_ bit by bit, until he was buried all the way up to his last knuckle. 

And he was– and then he was _inside_ of Atem.

Yuugi gawked as much for the sight as the sheer idea of it, and when he looked up he saw Atem’s expression was completely shot, his face flushed and _he just–_ he didn’t say anything. But when he noticed Yuugi’s stare and they locked eyes, Yuugi heard his pleas anyways.

He kept that finger inside of him, carefully wiggling it.

Atem shuddered, his eyes fluttering as he arched– then relaxed, all in a breath. He barely moved at all. But, Yuugi had barely _done_ anything at all, so even that tiny reaction sent ripples down his spine.

He breathed in a shaky breath, and did it again. 

Atem tried to contain his reaction again, but Yuugi had found his purpose. _He knew,_ so he kept moving, kept dragging his finger back out, pressing back in, shifting carefully and consciously so he’d know exactly what to avoid if Atem didn’t like anything. But Atem never displayed any discomfort. That was strain on his face, not pain, and soon enough he was losing control of his hips, jerking up to meet Yuugi’s finger in little fits and starts when he didn’t catch himself.

Yuugi watched the broken display with dizzy fascination, but shook himself out of it enough to ask, “You okay?” 

Atem sucked in a sharp gasp, as if Yuugi’s scraped voice affected him even more than the finger. “Yes. Keep– Don’t stop.”

Yuugi swallowed, his throat tight. Atem, the _need_ in his voice– “Okay, but if it becomes too much–”

“I– _please–”_

Yuugi shuddered through a breath, then looked down at his hand. He hadn’t found Atem’s prostate yet. The website said it should be about a finger’s length up towards the front somewhere, but that _wasn’t_ an exact guess, and there was no guarantee that _Yuugi’s_ fingers would reach. Could he find it like this? Or, had he _already_ found it, and not noticed? Atem seemed pretty overwhelmed, after all, and not in a bad way.

Uncertain, Yuugi pulled his finger completely out, prompting Atem to tense up. He pushed himself up on his elbows and frowned down at him, a fight in his eyes. But Yuugi just snickered at that, silently delighted as he reached for the lube. “I need more of this.” Atem relaxed, but the fire returned to his eyes when Yuugi teased, “Did you like it that much?”

Atem smirked, mirroring Yuugi’s playful leer without a single hint of shame. “What do you think?”

 _“Haha,_ I don’t know. I couldn’t tell.” Yuugi squeezed out some lube and rubbed it pointedly between his fingers as he smirked right back. And he didn’t know what to call the expression that struck Atem’s face, but an intense, open want had wiped out Atem’s humor and Yuugi loved it. He dropped the tube and returned to Atem, pressing his middle finger inside him once to check how easily he’d take him. It was effortless. He was tight inside, but smooth and wet with lube and _hot_ and it made Yuugi’s brain buzz.

When he pressed in again, he added his pointer finger to his middle one, carefully pushing both inside.

Atem sucked in a hard breath, and spread his knees, trying to widen himself. The feeling of his other self doing that for him without any prompting was mind-blowing, and Yuugi had to ask, _“Really,_ what’s it feel like?” Atem’s eyes widened and he stared up at him, saying nothing, but Yuugi just shook his head. He held his gaze as he pressed deeper, watched Atem’s expression flicker and twitch as he strummed across his nerves. _“I mean it,_ does it… What’s it like, Atem?”

Atem’s lips parted but he said nothing, looking utterly speechless. If he had even tried for an answer, it was lost as Yuugi kept pushing inside him, going and going until he was buried up to the knuckle again. By then Atem was struggling even to breathe, but after a few seconds he gasped out, “It’s a lot.”

Yuugi grinned, reaching up to cup a knee and rub it in a way he hoped was soothing. Atem twitched under the touch, but leaned into it. “Yeah?”

Atem hummed, opening his eyes and letting his chin drop as he peered back at him through dark eyes. _“Yeah._ It’s… overwhelming. Like you’re making me aware of parts of myself I never registered before, and I can’t process it. Can’t process feeling there, and that it feels good. I can’t keep up with it. With _you_ doing this to me. It’s too much.” On the surface that didn’t sound all good, but Atem said it with such delight and satisfaction that Yuugi felt warm inside and out just considering it. Imagining it.

Really, what would that be like?

Atem pressed down against Yuugi’s fingers, shutting his eyes and panting with the impact. “And I _can’t believe_ you stopped again.”

Yuugi smiled, but didn’t reply. He just– his throat felt tight and he couldn’t find words. So he pulled out halfway and wiggled his way back in without speaking.

Atem let out a sharp, _“Ah!”_ and gasped around a laugh, arched up to meet Yuugi as he kept moving, kept wiggling, curling his fingers against Atem’s insides– 

Atem collapsed, his legs and hands dropping limp to the bed as he stared at the ceiling, completely still. Not moving, not breathing.

Yuugi blinked, unsure what… Then he looked down at his buried fingers and wondered. 

He _hadn’t._

Yuugi shifted again, pulling his fingers carefully out only to press back in, aiming for that same spot– and that time he felt it: A faint bumpy spot.

Atem clamped down on his fingers. Outwardly he barely moved at all, but his eyes widened, shock splashing his face as he _finally_ claimed air, his breaths coming fast.

Yuugi smiled. Apparently, his middle finger _was_ long enough. But just in case, he whispered, “I’ll stop whenever you want, remember that.” It could be too much, after all. That website said everyone reacted differently and for some it could be too much, so– 

Atem looked at him, his eyes blazing. _“Don’t you dare.”_

–so _seriously,_ Yuugi shouldn’t feel so giddy. But he was biting back giggles as he moved his fingers again, trying to see just _how_ sensitive that spot was. Even that tiny shift had Atem biting his own lip again, and Yuugi stopped moving, keeping a steady, faint pressure on the spot as he asked, “You remember what I told you, right? About how prostates work? That spot is why this is supposed to feel good.” 

Atem carefully released his lip from between his teeth and clicked his tongue. He smiled. “Does that mean it shouldn’t have felt good before?”

Yuugi grinned and pushed down the urge to climb up and kiss him, reaching for the lube again instead. He kept his fingers inside Atem until he was _just_ ready to rewet them. “I mean, I’m not complaining if it does.”

_“Neither am I.”_

Yuugi giggled, and a relieved delight welled up in his chest at the way Atem spread his legs for him without prompting the second he dropped the lube. It was so inviting, so _eager._

But when Yuugi tried to push into him again, _three_ fingers that time, Atem flinched. Tensed in a way he hadn’t before. 

Yuugi stalled at the sight, searching his face. Atem quickly recovered and gave a nod for him to continue, but Yuugi saw the way Atem’s jaw tightened. He was struggling, clearly holding back a frown. And so _Yuugi_ frowned, wondering if perhaps this was it. 

Maybe. This was never supposed to be a quick process, _he knew that,_ and Atem might need more than a day and a single try to go through with this. And that was fine. Yuugi knew half a dozen ways to get them both off without pushing further. He could even dial it back and keep using two fingers, since Atem seemed to like _that._ But, he knew Atem wouldn’t like giving up. Even if it was causing him pain, he would fight stopping. 

But Yuugi was ready for that fight. He was _not_ going to hurt Atem, not even to please him, so _that was just–_

…

But, _then again…_

…

He wasn’t sure if it would work. No website he saw ever suggested it. Still, _maybe–_

Yuugi pinched his lips together, unsure… But, _why not?_ What was the harm in trying? 

He had already stopped trying to push inside, barely buried up to the first knuckle as it was, and now Yuugi pulled out completely, just to push right back in with his pointer finger.

 _Only_ his pointer finger.

Atem sucked in a breath like he expected more pain, or at least discomfort, but Yuugi slid in all the way up to the last knuckle with ease, and Atem barely grunted with the rush of it. Then he blinked, glanced down… and looked back up at Yuugi with a scowl. _“Aibou.”_

Yuugi grinned, setting aside his doubts to wiggle that solitary finger around. The gasp he earned didn’t even lighten Atem’s glare. “Yes?”

“What are you doing?” 

“What? Am I doing something wrong?” 

“Put your fingers back inside me,” Atem ordered, the demand desperate and pressing and not at all embarrassed. No, he looked _flustered,_ but–

Yuugi’s grin widened, and Atem fidgeted even more at his amusement, grew even _more_ winded and desperate against his touch, as if… Did Atem actually _like_ being teased like this? Truly? _Heh heh…_ Yuugi hadn’t _meant_ to tease, but–

He pulled back and re-entered his boyfriend with two fingers, prompting Atem to press down against his hand. He swallowed down a clear moan before relaxing again, his renewed glare far more heated than intimidating. _“Aibou.”_ The yearning in his voice made Yuugi shift, his own erection throbbing, but he endured, kept his smile light as he pressed in as deeply as he could. 

Atem stopped fighting him, his eyes falling shut as he leaned hard into his elbows and panted, and Yuugi watched. He watched, caught by the look on Atem’s face as he moved inside of him, curling and spreading his fingers however he could, just a bit faster and a bit rougher than he himself was comfortable with. He needed to see, what could he handle? Would going further cause pain? “How is it? Too much?” Atem mouthed a word – _his name_ – and Yuugi had to swallow down a moan to speak. “Atem, you need to answer me. I think I can guess, but I need to know.”

It was unfair of him, Atem was clearly struggling to speak. But when Yuugi slowed and his fingers went still inside of him, Atem recovered his breath within two gasps and spit out, _“More.”_

Yuugi swallowed harder.

He– he had to try. He _wanted_ to try.

He grabbed the lube, trying his best to ignore the sweet hitch in Atem’s voice when he pulled out of him. Yuugi poured a thick layer onto his fingers, a fair amount dripping off onto the towel. He didn’t care. He looked up, saw Atem watching him, looked him right in the eye, and pressed in three fingers at once. 

Atem didn’t flinch. He startled, his mouth dropping open and catching as he forgot to breathe. But when he moved, he rolled himself _into_ Yuugi, spreading his knees as wide as he likely could. And Yuugi felt his body give way in an instant. 

He slid deeper.

Atem collapsed back onto the bed, fighting for air as Yuugi watched, entranced. _“Mou hitori no boku…”_

“Mo–” Atem tried to speak, but lost the words. He opened his eyes and looked at him, instead, proclaiming his want without a single sound: _Move._

Yuugi shook his head, but not to deny. He just couldn’t… he breathed deep, anchored himself with a hand on Atem’s thigh, and moved. 

_“Ah!”_ Atem threw his head back and clutched at the sheets, arching up into Yuugi. And Yuugi met him as well as he could. But he couldn’t slide in as deeply as before, or move in the same way. No matter how he folded his fingers together, they didn’t seem suited for the tight space. He couldn’t wiggle them around like he had with two. Perhaps the websites had been wrong about three or more being feasible, or maybe there was some trick to it that Yuugi didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. None of Atem’s reactions implied pain anymore… Except that he was biting his lip so hard it _had_ to hurt. 

Yuugi gasped at him, “You know you don’t have to stay quiet now, right?” 

Atem let out a shaky sound that might have been a laugh, then muttered, _“Jii-chan_ would hear me all the way down in the shop if I– _let go.”_ But his words bled into a moan, strangled and cut-off but free, and when Yuugi gave up on three fingers and went back to two, he didn’t protest again. He let Yuugi work deep and curl his fingers and met him with arching hips and a flood of loosed sounds: high grunts and breathless little _‘Ahs’_ and broken words that might have been a name.

Yuugi loved it, kept trying to earn those sounds, to discover how truly just how natural the effort could be. And all the while, Atem remained focused on him, his eyes wide and mouth open and cheeks hot with color. And Yuugi couldn’t look away. He just– he just _wanted to–_

He looked down to consider the success of his fingering, if they should try for more after all, and burned to see Atem hard again. Yuugi hadn’t even touched Atem since he came, and he was _hard._

Yuugi bent over without thinking.

Atem jumped and almost dislodged Yuugi’s fingers as Yuugi grasped his cock and licked his head, not even waiting to close his lips around it. His other hand kept moving, kept curling fingers inside of Atem, and Yuugi felt the long, deep sound Atem let out all the way down in his toes.

Then hands grabbed his shoulders and pushed. _“Stop.”_

Yuugi jerked up, pulling back both hands at once as alarm rang through his head. Was that too much? Had he pushed too hard? Moved his fingers too fast when he wasn’t focusing on it? _He should have gone slower!_

But Atem didn’t look overwhelmed. No, when Yuugi met his gaze, Atem was shockingly steady. And glaring. “Do _not_ finish me like that again. I need you inside of me. **_Now.”_ **

Yuugi flushed, heat burning his face and sliding down his neck. But he didn’t balk. He read the desperation behind Atem’s demand and crawled up to meet it, covering Atem with his body as he kissed him.

Atem closed around him like a vice, embraced him and wrapped legs around him and held fast, and Yuugi loved it. He could have reveled in that forever, matching his boyfriend’s aggressive kiss and rubbing against him until they both screamed. 

But, his other self had expressed a desire. And Yuugi intended to satisfy it. 

He backed off and turned his head when Atem shot up to reclaim the kiss. “How do you want it?”

Atem stilled, his lips still on Yuugi’s cheek.

“Behind seems to be the go-to,” Yuugi breathed, gripping Atem’s hips pointedly, as if he meant to flip him. Atem strangled some sound at the touch. “Or on your stomach, if you want to relax. Or, if you want to control it, to see each other, you could sit on me.” And Yuugi had imagined every one of those options, wondered over and over which they would actually–

“No.” Atem cut into his thoughts with a word, and Yuugi turned his face back to look him in the eye. Atem was still staring at him, but his gaze wavered, as if it was a struggle for him to even focus. But he was determined. He needed Yuugi to know– “I want you like this.” He slid his arms up and locked them behind Yuugi’s neck, indicating them _there,_ just as they were. “We can try those other ways another time, but right now? I want to see you over me, just like this. To watch you enjoy this.”

Pleasure clenched in Yuugi’s gut, but it was a distant thing, a distant shadow to the sharp sweetness in his chest. He kept Atem’s gaze, felt dizzy and small and splendid in his eyes, and… and leaned down, pressing his brow to his. “Okay,” Yuugi breathed, his throat tight. He didn’t actually cry, _but– “Okay.”_

The desperate need in Atem’s gaze relaxed, and he let his eyes fall shut. He looked like peace. Looked beautiful.

Yuugi swallowed missing tears and reached back. He coaxed Atem’s hands off his neck, but held onto them as he sat up. “Then, we’ll need that pillow.” Atem opened his eyes and looked at him, curious, but he didn’t ask. So Yuugi moved, let go to grab the free pillow and another towel and wrap the pillow in the thick cover before– before meeting his boyfriend’s eye again. Seeing that bright stare, Yuugi touched Atem’s hip. “Lean up for me?”

Atem instantly shifted, moving wordlessly as Yuugi indicated until Yuugi could slide the pillow under his lower back and ass, angling his hips up. 

“To make it easier,” he explained, but Atem didn’t answer. So he looked up… and couldn’t look away. Atem was watching him, such open love in his eyes that Yuugi crawled up and tried to capture it with a kiss. But he couldn’t, it was still there when he pulled away, still shining in Atem’s eyes as Yuugi gasped out, “Just, stay open for me, okay?” 

Atem nodded, his eyes hooded as he grasped Yuugi’s hips and arched up against him. The move pressed Atem against Yuugi’s gut, and Yuugi shivered at the feeling, at the dot of wet precum he could feel on his stomach. _“Please.”_

Yuugi gulped, and backed up, before he could forget up from down.

He grabbed the box of condoms off the desk. 

He’d already opened the thing Friday when he was practicing with the lube, so it was easy enough to get one out and toss the box back towards the desk. He heard it hit his chair instead and spill out over the floor, but he didn’t look to check. It didn’t matter. He just needed the one, and he thanked his stars that he had thought to practice with one beforehand. Once he had the packet open it took only half a minute and two tries to get it on, even with his shaking. And that handled, he breathed deep, gathered himself, and looked up– and realized Atem was watching him again. 

His other self was lounging back in the same position Yuugi had left him in, his eyes half-shut and unblinking, his hands folded loosely over his stomach. By all accounts he looked like he could be dozing, save for the stiff line of his cock, his shallow breaths and the look in his half-shut eyes. Yuugi _knew_ that look, and the second he met his other self’s gaze, the fire blazed back across his face. Atem hooked a heel behind Yuugi’s thigh and pulled. “Come here, _aibou.”_ The sheer authority lined with love in those words made Yuugi’s mouth go dry, and he couldn’t speak. He let Atem reel him in, pull him close and curl his legs around his. But he didn’t fall back over his other self. He stayed up on his knees, and reached for the lube.

He moved quickly, rubbing the liquid between his fingers before pressing them back against Atem’s hole. Atem sighed and relaxed into it as Yuugi spread the lube over him, then Yuugi reached for himself, coating himself with what was left. The feeling of his own fingers on his cock was overwhelming, even through the latex, and he wondered just how long he would last doing this. But Atem was waiting and Yuugi wouldn’t drag it out any longer. He wiped his hand on the towel, grabbed Atem by the hips, and asked, “You ready?” 

His words came out scratchy and quiet, but Atem seemed to like that. He smiled and arched languidly against his touch, and let his hands fall by his head, a sight so enticing that it could only be on purpose. “Dying.”

Yuugi grinned, rubbing Atem’s hip with a soft rebuke. “None of that. You have to stay right here, with me.” 

Atem didn’t answer. He just melted, his tranquility cracking with a bright, adoring smile. And Yuugi let himself drown in the sight, but only for a moment. Then he looked down, stared at his hole… and moved. Before he could build up the act too much to go through with it. 

It was astoundingly easy to scoot that tiny last bit closer once he tried, and he took himself in hand and– 

**Oh.**

Yuugi had expected pressure and a careful struggle between force and care, but _no._ A single well-aimed press and the air was knocked out of his lungs by heat and _tightness_ so good, so much, and he saw it and _felt it_ as Atem went still as stone inside and out. It was _so much_ and once the head of his cock was securely in Yuugi stilled as much for himself as Atem, reeling against the overwhelming pleasure threatening to end him right then. 

He tried to ignore it, fought against the threat of release as he panted and focused on Atem. He was staring at him– no, staring _through_ him, a mask of shock on his face as he reeled within. And Yuugi couldn’t tell if it was too much, if it was bad or good. But just as he recovered the breath to perhaps ask, Atem truly looked at him. Life sparked back as they locked eyes, and Yuugi burned alive at the look on Atem’s face. But he stayed still. He waited, excruciating as it was, for the tension to fade from Atem. Because he would not risk it. He would not move further until Atem expressed that he wanted to– 

Atem pushed himself up off the pillow to take him deeper.

He let out a strangled cry and fell and Yuugi yelped, _shook_ as he slid deeper. And he himself moved, unable to help himself, it just– Atem was so _hot!_ So much! Yuugi’s mind burned over with the urge to thrust freely, or just collapse at the agonizing, _wonderful_ pressure, and he focused with all his might on the sensation of the towel rubbing against his knee, focused on the texture of the cloth so he didn’t move more and hurt Atem, or just come right there!

And Atem– Yuugi had squeezed his eyes shut at some point, and he opened them to see Atem’s eyes shut, too. His other self’s chest caught with every breath, his gasps fast and nearly silent… but he seemed okay. His body kept tensing and relaxing in little fits and starts, but as Yuugi watched he slowly slid back into steady looseness, his entire body relaxing, then going limp. And seeing him relax, seemingly fine, Yuugi finally felt free to look elsewhere. So he looked down, scanning his other self’s body.

His focus instantly caught on himself, halfway buried inside of Atem, and that truth was so much in two _very_ different ways. Yuugi was caught by the sight of them connected like that. By the impulse to push hard and complete the connection.

He gripped Atem’s hips at the thought, but he didn’t follow the whim. Instead, he carefully pulled out. 

Atem sucked in another breath, deeper and _deeper,_ then let it all out in a sharp gasp as Yuugi stalled just before he fell out, and gently pushed in again. Slowly. It went just as smoothly as before, but it was also just as _hot and tight and–_ and Yuugi was panting as he processed that he’d gone deeper, that it _was so…_ He moved again without thinking, sliding out to press back in again, a bit faster. 

It worked.

Atem jolted beneath his fingers and Yuugi looked up to see his other self’s eyes open and dazed, his mouth caught slightly open. But he hadn’t tensed. He didn’t tense. He even leaned up into it, drawing Yuugi a little deeper. That welcome jolted a smile out of Yuugi and on the high of pleasure he mumbled, _“There we go.”_

Atem’s face twitched with a smile, the expression solidifying as he _looked_ at him, and Yuugi grinned back in greeting, reasserted his grip on Atem, and moved minutely in and out. As if to say, _look!_

Atem’s expression stuttered, his eyes fogged, and Yuugi couldn’t be sure, but he _felt_ sure it was his own gaze that made Atem flush and tremble like that. Made him _look_ at him like that, like he was begging for more. 

Yuugi answered those silent pleas, pressing deeper, and Atem’s eyes nearly shut again as he breathed out a soft, _“Ah.”_ But they didn’t close. Atem didn't look away, and neither did Yuugi. He fell into it, losing focus on everything save the tight, _dragging_ heat and Atem’s face. Atem unraveled and relaxed, fell back into himself while still meeting Yuugi’s gaze, and finally lifted his hands from beside his head to reach down, and clutch Yuugi’s hands where he gripped his hips. “Yes,” he whispered, and Yuugi shivered, caught in Atem’s eyes as his other self breathed, “Keep doing that. That’s good.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he assured, chuckling breathlessly only to lose the laugh when Yuugi pushed inside him again. _“Koi-Koi.” Come on._

Yuugi grinned for the little call back, but he was too breathless to match Atem’s laugh. He just tightened his grip on him and kept moving, slow but persistent about it as fire dripped down his spine and Atem let his jaw drop. They both gasped and panted for breath as Yuugi kept going, kept moving and pushing in, _over and over_ until finally, he could go no further. He was completely buried in Atem.

A sweet heat overflowed from Yuugi’s heart and poured out through the rest of him at the thought: He was _inside_ of Atem. He was– he couldn’t process it. He was shocked it had happened, shocked they had even made it that far, and that still he– he felt on the edge of coming, of collapsing, yet not tired at all. He was _exhilarated._ This was _Atem_ under him! Around him. _Atem_ that Yuugi was– 

And Atem looked happy. Mindless and winded, just a bundle of fine-tuned shivers in Yuugi’s hands, but _happy._ His expression kept flickering between peace and bliss, and a tight focus. And every one of his long, ragged breaths made Yuugi shiver. 

And then Atem met his eye again, offered him that open, naked need, and Yuugi felt like he could just collapse to pieces.

But he didn’t. He remained whole, remained as he was, over Atem, and moved again. Pulled back further than before so he could thrust deeper, truly and properly _move–_

And fell out.

Yuugi blinked, looked down at himself, shining from the condom and the lube, and snickered from embarrassment and the high of it all. _Oops._

“Sorry,” he whispered, but Atem was smiling, too, not troubled at all. 

“It’s fine, _aibou._ Just come back.”

Yuugi’s grin spread wider and he shot Atem a grateful, adoring look, then took himself in hand–

And stalled, because Atem leaned up to meet him, like he was trying to get him back. 

It was a natural enough move, but still Yuugi’s throat tightened as he looked up to see Atem’s face twisted with want, vulnerable and _anxious–_ And a hum played up Yuugi’s nerves, gathering in his brain and leaving him dizzy.

And determined.

He set his jaw, locked his eyes on Atem’s face, and pressed himself back inside _just_ far enough that he wouldn't fall out again. Then Yuugi grabbed Atem’s hips and buried himself in a single thrust.

The result was firecrackers up Yuugi’s spine and a cry punched out of his gut, but that was nothing to Atem arching off of the bed like he’d been electrocuted. When Yuugi stalled, shaking and sweating with the effort to stay still, that open vulnerable look fell back over Atem’s face, and Yuugi knew that that overwhelmed reaction was _good._

Yuugi breathed relief between gasps, tightened his grip, pulled out halfway, and did it again.

Atem gave a jolt, a moan catching and cutting out in his throat as he stared at Yuugi with wide eyes. 

Yuugi simply grinned back, a new, unexpected thrill coursing through him as he gasped, “You like that?”

Atem narrowed his eyes at him, the same frantic delight Yuugi felt reflected in their depths. _“Do that again.”_

Yuugi beamed, even as Atem’s voice threatened to end him right then and there. But he pressed on. He gave another strong thrust that left him dizzy with the rush, then repeated it. Did it again, and _again,_ focusing hard on the way his boyfriend choked with each move, twisted his hands in sheets already untethered from the mattress and bunching up around them. It was too much and in seconds Yuugi felt his energy waning, but he _tried._ He kept going. Kept moving and tugging that pleasure out of Atem and himself as his other self gasped and arched beneath him, his thighs sliding up to hug Yuugi’s hips. 

Yuugi grabbed them, bent Atem’s legs until he could anchor his hands behind his knees. And when it was up in easy reach, he turned his head to kiss one.

That quieted Atem for a moment and he smiled up at him, pleased love in his eyes– Then Yuugi moved inside of him again, at that new angle, and he threw his head back. _“Aibou!”_

Yuugi shook, and moaned. To hear Atem cry out for him like that– _“Yes,”_ he breathed, and Atem dissolved for him, went pliant and soft and shaking as Yuugi kept thrusting inside of him. Atem didn’t even press back, he just _moaned_ and muttered his name over and over again, before suddenly bursting to life again and reaching for him. 

Yuugi followed his hands, slid up to lean over Atem as he clearly wanted, but he didn’t let go of his legs, so his other self was left nearly folded in half.

Atem didn’t protest, merely grunted at the new position– then he jerked and _screamed_ and fell into high, strangled cries that sounded almost _panicked_ as Yuugi moved inside of him again. Yuugi wondered if he’d brushed his prostate, or if it was just a naturally good angle, but he couldn’t ask. The second he was within reach Atem grabbed him by the neck and tried to bury all of his cries in a kiss, the sounds buzzing off Yuugi’s lips as he kept moving. The new position made parts of him sore fast, but he didn’t care. He was drowning in the pleasure shooting up his spine, aching to just let go– 

Atem tugged roughly on his shoulders and Yuugi tensed up with the effort to still. Once he mostly slowed, shaking and gasping and _in agony,_ Atem fell back from their kiss, looking just just as winded as he rasped, _“Lie down on me.”_

Yuugi stared, caught off guard, but Atem tugged at him and he relented. He released Atem’s legs and let them hook around his waist, and laid down in the cleared space.

Atem welcomed him with another kiss.

The warmth of Atem’s body was good, and the moan Atem let out even better, but it was as Yuugi had feared: He could kiss Atem and feel more of him lying together like that, but he couldn’t move inside of him in the same way, even with the pillow curving their position. All he could do was buck inside of Atem with half-thrusts that made his other self grunt and gasp, but not cry out. Not scream. Not like before. 

But, there was consolation. Yuugi felt his own clamoring climax slide back, too, and his head was suddenly clear enough to string two thoughts together. So he pulled back from Atem’s kiss and whispered, “Is this what you wanted?”

Atem’s gasps cut off and he looked up at him, expression caught. He didn’t speak.

But Yuugi did. “You have any idea what you look like right now?”

Atem remained still, his breathing quiet but fast, his face open and vulnerable again and– 

_“Amazing,”_ Yuugi whispered, forcing himself to get the words out. He remembered their first night, remembered Atem begged him to talk in the midst of their loving, how much it had meant to him. If he could give him that again– “You feel amazing. I never– I imagined this a lot, since you– over and over, but I never imagined you _wanting it_ so much. Wanting to be with me like this. How amazing it would be, _because_ I know that.” Yuugi’s voice broke, undone by his own words and the emotion twisting across Atem’s face. He bent over to kiss him, delight coursing through him when he felt his other self shaking too much to even return it. Yuugi spoke against his mouth, uncaring of how it muffled him. “You– I love seeing you like this. Love _being_ with you like this. I just– _I love you–”_

Atem let out a cracked sound Yuugi had never heard before, and before he could lean back to see his face properly Atem tightened his grip on him and kissed him like his life depended on it. Yuugi moaned and melted and kissed him back, kept kissing him as Atem desperately pressed up against him, and Yuugi felt his other self’s erection against his stomach. He should touch it. Help Atem find release. Didn’t the websites say however good it felt, it wasn’t common for the bottom to come from just this? But Atem wouldn’t let go, wouldn’t loosen up enough for Yuugi to reach him or even speak. And Yuugi had no will to fight him. He just moaned and rocked harder and wordlessly encouraged his other self to rub himself against him. 

Atem wouldn’t take the hint. He just _clung_ to him, sliding his legs to dig his heels into– 

Yuugi bucked, his stomach flipping with a moan as Atem pressed his heels into his ass. Yuugi tore himself out of the kiss and gasped, _“This is–”_

Atem whined, _demanded_ as he twisted and rolled his hips, unable to buck up properly. “Please…”

Another moan bubbled up in Yuugi’s throat and he buried it in Atem’s neck. “I _can’t.”_ He wouldn’t last if he– And there was no force or good angle to this! Not for Atem! It would surely just taunt him, right? Then only Yuugi would– 

_“Please!”_

Yuugi shuddered at– at that plea… and he couldn’t help it. He gave in. He lifted his head and pressed his brow to Atem’s, looking him in the eye as he grasped his shoulders from behind and just– _moved._ Mindlessly, messily, quick enough that it stole his breath and his mind burned and Atem _keened_ beneath him, gasping at every quick, sharp thrust. And Yuugi was _drowning,_ but the position betrayed him in the end. He wasn’t even sure how, but when he tried for a longer thrust, to _pound_ into Atem, he slipped out again.

He didn’t take it. He ripped himself out of Atem’s arms to sit up and right himself, lifting his other self’s hips to slam _right back_ inside of him.

 _“Ah!!”_ Atem arched up then fell back to the bed, and Yuugi’s eyes teared up at the relief in his other self’s cry.

 _“Mou hitori no boku,_ I _can’t!”_ He– he didn’t– Yuugi didn’t even _know,_ but Atem remained collapsed beneath him, flying in his stillness as he gasped for breath and peered up at him. And when Yuugi didn’t move again, he hissed through his teeth and dug his heels into Yuugi’s ass. _Again._

“Go on. _Aibou.”_

Yuugi trembled. “I-it–”

 _“I want it!”_

Yuugi lost all breath at that heated demand, stared down into those gleaming, wanting reds… and _groaned,_ his tense shoulders sagging with a surrender _too sweet._ He grasped Atem’s hips and plunged inside. 

His other self arched beneath him, _into_ him, and Yuugi groaned again, voice stuttering with the rushed, shallow thrusts. 

“Y-Yes.” 

_“Yes!”_ Atem cried, his echo intense and deep and _satisfied,_ his fingers clutching at Yuugi’s arms as he gasped and moaned. His legs hitched higher, tried to clamp around Yuugi’s back and keep him there. Keep him close. _"Aibou!"_

_“Fuck,_ it’s–”

“Go on, _yes. Aibou._ You’re– so good. You’re so good. You _feel so–”_

_“Mou hitori no–”_ Yuugi begged, _tried to warn,_ but it was too late. Atem’s unabashed calls scraped at Yuugi’s restraint until he _slammed_ into him, coming with an endless broken moan.

And Atem knew. He tightened his grip on Yuugi and pulled him down into his arms, wrapped himself around him, even as Yuugi’s mindless rolls tugged gasps out of him. The thrusts slowly stuttered into nothing as Yuugi released into the condom, and finally stilled with one last, belly-deep groan.

Then… everything was still. Yuugi collapsed and panted for breath against Atem’s body, warm and buzzing and just wanting to be _still._ Just like that. And he felt Atem sigh under him, _so happy,_ but as he combed his fingers through Yuugi’s hair, Yuugi felt it again: A hard line against his stomach.

He shut his eyes, floated on the sensation of Atem’s fingers for a few, wonderful heartbeats… then pulled away. He pushed himself up out of Atem’s arms and Atem let him go, but he frowned over the sudden distance, and when Yuugi sat up and slid out of him, it was apparently too much. “What are you doing? You don’t need to–”

Yuugi pulled off, tied off, and dropped the condom in the waiting waste bin, then turned to see Atem starting to sit up and reach for him. But Yuugi intercepted one of his hands, grabbing it to bring it to his lips. Atem’s protests died, his gaze turning curious as Yuugi kissed his palm. But Yuugi didn’t respond to Atem’s mute question directly. He trailed kisses down to Atem’s wrist, then guided the hand to his own shoulder, pressing down on it. “Hold on to me.”

Atem did, his gaze trusting and expectant and still curious, but all of those emotions washed out when Yuugi grasped Atem’s cock and leaned over it. The hand on his shoulder instantly slid, catching behind Yuugi’s neck, and he looked up to see Atem staring at him, shocked and flushed and– _“Aibou.”_

“We’re not done,” Yuugi said, no question to it. But he waited until Atem’s expression cracked and showed want again before bending over and swallowing him. 

Atem gave a jolt, moved like he might thrust into his mouth, but caught himself, _shaking_ under Yuugi’s palm as he pressed a hand to his thigh. _“Ai–aibou–”_

Yuugi hummed in reply and Atem fell, collapsed onto the bed in a burst of desperate pants. He was too aroused to endure this, and that suited Yuugi just fine. He sucked, sliding his tongue over every bit of Atem he could as he pumped with his hand, no technique or elegance to the act. He just wanted Atem to come. But Atem fought him, tensing and gritting his teeth and fisting his hands in the sheets in a way that might have alarmed Yuugi earlier that morning. But now he just eyed his other self’s behavior critically, finally giving up on sucking him to sit up and ask, “Why aren’t you letting go?” 

Atem let out a whine, and it grew louder and longer as Yuugi continued jerking him, his own saliva smoothing the way as Atem broke and cried out to him. _“Aibou. Aibou!”_

“You have to let go,” Yuugi insisted, his words gentle but relentless as he continued pumping. Atem always did this, always fought his own release, and Yuugi could only assume he just didn’t want it to be over. But he was so clearly _ready_ to let go, whether he liked it or not, and Yuugi was ready to use his mouth again when Atem let out a wordless, cracked cry, and Yuugi thought better of it. He kept pumping him instead, watched his other self gasp and arch into his touch and grit his teeth, so _clearly_ close. Yuugi watched him, watched him fight himself, and when it felt like just the right moment he said, “Atem, _look at me.”_

Atem opened his eyes, looked at him, and shattered. He choked on a cry and Yuugi felt his come spread over his fingers. Mute satisfaction melted through Yuugi with the success, _for what won it,_ as Atem reached out and clutched his arm, squeezing and moaning as his orgasm rolled through him. His come dripped down Yuugi’s fingers and surely Atem’s stomach, but Yuugi didn’t look down to check. He watched Atem’s expression twist and bleed pleasure, and fade slowly into exhaustion. 

The instant his orgasm seemed past, Yuugi let go, crawled up over Atem, and kissed him.

Atem instantly tried to return it, but his lips were slow and clumsy, so Yuugi kept the kiss soft and soon ended it, leaning back enough to look at him again. Atem looked completely disoriented, but he returned Yuugi’s smile as he asked, “You okay?”

“…Floating,” Atem murmured, and Yuugi snickered, relief knocking his rapt mood into laughter. But then Atem added, “It feels like you’ve touched every part of me, and it’s amazing,” and Yuugi instantly sobered again, staring down at him. 

_“Mou hitori no boku…”_

Atem kept smiling, his exhaustion palpable and giving his expression a dreamy quality. It tugged at Yuugi’s heart and prompted him to kiss him again.

Atem hummed into the touch, but still had no strength to return it. He just kept looking dreamy as Yuugi leaned back and said, “I’m glad. And I’m glad you asked for this. It _was_ amazing. And you… I just can’t believe it.”

Atem focused, then. Searched his eyes, and slowly the joy Yuugi felt reflected back at him through Atem. And they stared at each other, just _looking_ for a long, quiet moment… then Yuugi claimed Atem’s hand, kissed the knuckles of his fingers, and sighed. 

“We should get up,” he said, his words heavy and reluctant. “Before we have to hurry.”

Atem proved he _did_ have some life left in him by tugging Yuugi down hard enough that he toppled over on top of him. Atem himself coughed with the impact, but he still locked his arms around Yuugi’s waist and proclaimed, “No.”

Yuugi laughed, rubbing his cheek against Atem’s shoulder. “But we need to clean up the room. And ourselves. And get your glasses. And take care of the food. And maybe even eat it, if it’s any good now.”

Atem stayed quiet, and when Yuugi pushed himself up enough to see his face, he saw his eyes were shut. He looked for all the world like a person _determined_ to be asleep, and thus incapable of listening.

Yuugi grinned at the display and shuffled his way up to kiss the bridge of Atem’s nose. Then the tip. Then his lips– and drew sharply back when Atem gave into temptation and tried to return it. The sudden retreat surprised Atem into looking at him with wide, owlish eyes, and Yuugi smiled back. “At least let me get the water.”

Atem relaxed out of his shock and grinned, shaking his head. “Don’t need it.”

 _“Oh?_ You’re not thirsty? Not even a little?”

Atem shut his eyes again and hummed in a way clearly intended to inspire confidence. It didn’t.

Yuugi hummed back in a thoughtful manner, then played the one card he knew would work: “I am.”

Atem’s face went slack and he frowned up at the ceiling, as if it had made some play he _knew_ he couldn’t counter. And Yuugi grinned. _Win._

They didn’t have to actually leave the bed, since Yuugi had already left some water on the desk, but they would choke if they drank lying down. So they both dragged themselves upright and slid to the edge of the bed. After he had opened the bottle and downed a few gulps, Yuugi passed it to Atem and took advantage of his boyfriend’s preoccupation to take care of some things. Yuugi reached back and grabbed the pillow they’d been using, tossing the pillow itself before wiping himself off with the towel it’d been wrapped in. The other towel they’d used was pretty badly stained from the lube, but when Yuugi pulled it up he saw the sheets beneath it weren’t marked at all. Good, that probably meant they didn’t need to worry about changing sheets or doing this much prep work in the future. They could just… they didn’t need to plan for everything. If they had the right stuff about, they could be more impulsive.

Yuugi rubbed his fingers in the cleaner towel, excited and slightly dissociated from the moment at the thought. Then he noticed Atem putting up the water and turned back to him. “Here.”

Atem looked over and mirrored Yuugi’s smile as he took the towel he offered. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” Yuugi watched Atem clean himself off, but the second he was done, he pulled the towel out of his hands, dropped it, slid an arm around his waist, and fell back onto the bed.

Atem went down with a grunt, smiling as they hit the mattress. “I thought we needed to get up.”

“I already surrendered on that,” Yuugi said, not bothered at all as Atem smirked. “And it’s fine, we’ll just have to mind the alarm.” Atem blinked out of his smug look, then looked up over his own head towards the clock. When he tried to sit up, Yuugi grabbed his chin and turned him back to him. “Don’t look. It’s better if we don’t know how long we have. I just want to enjoy this.” 

Atem’s expression melted, and he looked so… so beautiful, but that was just Yuugi’s reaction and Atem’s natural state of being, not an _emotion,_ so– “Have I told you yet that I love you?” 

Yuugi’s heartbeat skipped, then caught back up as he smiled. “Not today. Not with words.”

Atem tightened his grip and used it to draw him closer, close enough that their noses brushed as he looked into his eyes. “I love you, Yuugi.”

Yuugi breathed out, basking in the words before whispering back, “Me too. I love you, too.”

And that was that. Atem stared at him, so happy, and Yuugi had nothing else to say. There were thoughts in his head, _sure,_ suggestions and praise and love, and _questions._ But none of it really mattered, not right then. They’d be saying it all for hours, surely, once the delight settled in. Until then, it was enough to smile and touch and kiss him.

So he did.

Atem pulled him close, kissing back with the same languid relish Yuugi felt, until they just relaxed into it. There was no need behind the kiss save for the need to be close, to stay close, and Yuugi sought blindly for Atem’s hand as they kissed, following his arm down to his fingers. 

Atem’s fingers caught him back, and squeezed.

The alarm went off and they broke apart.

Yuugi looked up over his head, then laughed at himself. _Man,_ he was jumpy! But Atem, he _glowered_ at the thing as he sat up. “That couldn’t have been more than five minutes!” He shut the alarm off as Yuugi huffed, relaxing back into the pillow.

“You mean since we finished? _Nope.”_

“What would we have done if we were still having sex when it went off?” Atem asked, sounding like the possibility disturbed him. 

But Yuugi grinned, enjoying his boyfriend’s flustered irritation maybe a _little_ too much. But the cause was just so sweet, and he remained smiling as he played fingers up Atem’s chest, waiting until he looked down at him to say, “I would have pulled out, finished myself off, and then done the same for you. It wouldn’t have taken long or been hard, as long as you didn’t mind where we came. It would’ve probably been on you.”

Atem didn’t respond. He just stared at him, his expression so blank that Yuugi started to wonder, frowning as he tilted his head.

“Is that not okay? It’s not that far off from what I _did_ do, if you think about it. At least as far as you’re concerned.”

Atem shook his head, eyes still wide as he bent down, clutched Yuugi’s shoulder, and kissed him so hard his head pressed back into the pillow.

Yuugi snickered against the kiss. Guess it was _fine,_ then.

Atem let up after a second and breathed against his lips, “If that’s your way of saying you want to do it again–” 

Sparks buzzed up Yuugi’s spine and he _wondered_ if they were actually capable of– But no, he shook his head and reached up to push Atem back by the shoulders until he could see him properly. “Not now, there’s no time. And besides, I don’t care what time it is, or if it has to be short. I want a bath with you. A proper one.” The faint distraction on Atem’s face died in a smile, and the second they were both sitting up Yuugi kissed his cheek. “Come on, I’ll wash your hair. Even scrub your back, if you like.”

Atem hummed and reached for Yuugi’s hand again, looking perfectly content as he rubbed his knuckles and smiled for him. “A mid-morning bath, hmm? That sounds nice… But, my back isn’t where I’m _truly_ sore. Will you rub me where I really need it?” 

Yuugi blinked at him, then his entire mind froze over and his eyes bugged out and he flushed a dark red as Atem smirked in that way Yuugi would never, _ever_ admit he loved. Not in a thousand years. “What do you mean _sore?!_ Did I actually–” 

Atem laughed and kissed Yuugi’s cheek, cooing, _“I’m fine, aibou,_ I swear. I’m just teasing you.”

 _“Oh…_ So, you _don’t_ really want that?”

_“Well…”_

…Yuugi gave a snort, instantly calming. Mood recovered, he slipped out of bed and pulled Atem along with him, taking advantage of a hand that refused to let him go. “I’ll rub whatever you like, just _come on._ There’s a hot bath calling our name and I want it.”

 _“Aa,”_ Atem answered, sounding pleased by the thought. But when Yuugi finally got him on his feet, Atem just caught him up in another kiss. Yuugi hesitated to return the embrace, knowing full well where that would lead, but that just freed Atem to take full control of it. So Yuugi just stood there, hands hovering behind Atem’s back as Atem asserted his affection unhindered, and soon Yuugi was _way_ too willing to be ‘caught’. So willing in fact that, when Atem pulled back in a sudden retreat, Yuugi tipped forward and nearly fell into him. Atem caught him, and smiled at Yuugi as he pushed him back onto his feet. “Go on, then.”

Yuugi opened his mouth to say something, he didn’t know what, but Atem’s smile evolved into a full-on cheshire grin, and the sight finally broke the spell. Yuugi gave a soft huff and stepped back with a turn, keeping hold of Atem’s hand. “You are way too proud of being an imp.”

Atem chuckled as if to say that was quite the pot calling the kettle black, but when Yuugi unlocked the door and peeked out to make doubly sure no one was around to catch them streaking across the hall, Atem leaned into his back and kissed his shoulder. “If you say so, love.”

Yuugi didn’t respond. _He_ was grinning now, and too widely to speak. So he simply squeezed Atem’s hand and led him across the hall.

A while later, they were soaking in the tub, Atem leaning back against Yuugi’s chest, loose and relaxed and quiet under his hands. His eyes were shut and he might as well have been sleeping, but his knees were up, bent so he could slide low enough for Yuugi to rub his scalp and run his fingers through his hair. Yuugi moved slowly, careful not to tug or pull, careful not to disturb Atem. There wasn’t a single line or furrow on Atem’s brow, and Yuugi stared at that smooth skin as his mind floated, his thoughts more colors than words, and all soft ones. 

Then those words floated back to the surface of his thoughts. 

Atem’s eyes cracked open the second Yuugi’s hands stilled, but before he could react further Yuugi leaned down, kissed his brow, then relaxed back as he had been. “Love you, too.”

Atem blinked, and Yuugi wondered if he had heard, if he understood. And maybe he didn’t, but he still smiled. One of Atem’s hands found Yuugi’s knee under the water and squeezed, and his eyes fell shut again. _“Mmm…_ Can we stay a bit longer?”

Yuugi smiled as well, reburying his hands in Atem’s hair. “Yeah, for a minute.” Atem’s answer was a happy hum, and his hand remained on Yuugi’s knee as Yuugi wound hair strands around his fingers, relishing the texture. 

“What game do you think it was?”

Yuugi blinked back into focus, and looked down to find Atem peering back at him, perfectly relaxed. “…What game?”

“The cartridge I saw under the bed.”

 _“Oh.”_ Yuugi smiled in understanding and returned to massaging. Atem’s eyes grew heavy again. “I don’t know, Link’s Awakening?”

 _“Hmm…_ Have you had that out recently?”

“No, not recently. Actually, I’d like to play it again if we can find it.”

“It should be on the shelf, if it’s not the one under the bed… What about Kirby?”

“No, I definitely put Kirby back last time, I remember that. But, whatever it is, it’s probably a game I lost the box for. That would explain us not missing it.”

“Us?”

“Well, _yeah,”_ Yuugi leaned into the word, and Atem blinked, focusing on him again. “You know what’s on the game shelf as well as I do, right?” Atem’s gaze went soft again at the question, but surprise hit his expression as Yuugi added, “Speaking of, I was wondering if we should rearrange the bedroom some. It’d be cool if we could fit in a table to play and sit at. I could trade out my desk if I need to, but more importantly, I want a bigger bookshelf. There isn’t enough room for our games anymore.”

Atem nodded, the move rubbing that back of his head into Yuugi’s chest. It tickled. “That’s a good idea. We could play and stay comfortable on the floor far longer if we had a table. But, you shouldn’t give up your school desk if you don’t need to,” he insisted, peering pointedly up at him. Yuugi grinned back, of no mind to argue, but instead of relaxing, Atem’s expression shifted and grew oddly blank. It concerned Yuugi for a moment, but then Atem murmured, “‘Our…’” 

It took Yuugi a second, but once he understood, he refound his smile. “Of course,” he said. “My games are your games. You know that.” Yuugi didn’t even phrase it as a question, he _knew_ Atem knew that. And there really wasn’t any shock in Atem’s face, but he still looked so bowled over by the words somehow. 

Atem broke their gaze to stare at the washroom wall for a few ticks… then met his eye again, his gaze no less dazed. _“Aibou…”_

Yuugi went on smiling, letting their gaze linger a heartbeat before focusing on Atem’s hair again, meaning to let the conversation drop. But Atem caught one of his hands and drew it to his lips. He kissed Yuugi’s knuckle and kept him there, peering up at him until Yuugi fell into his gaze and into the nameless, wonderful feeling reflected in his eyes. 

They stared at each other a while… then Atem breathed out, and they were free. Atem continued to claim Yuugi’s hand, but he held it to his chest instead, and looked him in the eye as he reluctantly asked, “Has it been a minute?”

More, _definitely_ more. But Yuugi just said, “Maybe,” and leaned down to press his face into Atem’s hair. “One more can’t hurt, right?”

Yuugi could hear Atem smiling. “No.” 

Yuugi breathed in, smelling the shampoo they’d just rinsed out. He could drown in that smell, and the man who came with it… but he lifted his head and buried his free fingers back in the locks.

Atem leaned into the touch, murmured, “That’s nice.” And before Yuugi could find a reply, his eyes were shut again. 

Yuugi snickered, Atem’s sleepy grin spread, and Yuugi went back to playing with his hair. 

His thoughts slipped back into color.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **[twitter](https://twitter.com/Phoebeus14) :: [writing blog](http://phoebeusproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [ygo blog](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/) :: [story art](http://ygospamproduction.tumblr.com/post/174516169038/story-art)**


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